*Riding high on back of Harley*

Jon Harley, who could hardly be called a regular since joining Fulham two years ago, popped up with his first goal for the club to seal victory over Aston Villa and ease their relegation fears.

Harley, so promising at Chelsea that he was a contender for England’s Euro 2000 squad while still a teenager, has returned to the Fulham team only since the sale of left-back Rufus Brevett to West Ham United just over a week ago.

So Harley chose the perfect time to come up with his first goal for Fulham, a superb 35-yard shot that swerved and dipped beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Peter Enckelman in the 36th minute of a match that suggested it is back to business as usual for Villa.

Having struggled to score away from home all season, Graham Taylor’s team went goal crazy in their previous away match, a 5-2 victory against Middlesbrough.

And they carried that confident form into his match when Gareth Barry put them ahead after only three minutes. Barry, another youngster who at one stage looked as if he would be the answer to England’s left-sided problems, ran on to a pass from Dion Dublin and slotted the ball past Maik Taylor from 10 yards with his trusty left foot.

Villa could have doubled their lead five minutes later when a volley by Dublin was cleared off the line by Luis Boa Morte, who went on to become the game’s key player.

The Portugal winger tormented the Villa defence all afternoon and was awarded a penalty when Joey Gudjonsson tripped him in the 14th minute, allowing Steed Malbranque to equalise from the penalty spot.

Boa Morte forayed down the left to cause chaos in the Villa defence, creating chances for Steve Marlet, Louis Saha and Sean Davis. But it was Harley who hit the decisive goal and from that moment Fulham were firmly in control.

Jean Tigana’s team would have increased their margin of victory but for Enckelman making fine saves to keep out efforts from Davis, Saha and Malbranque, who also missed a sitter when he volleyed wide from close range late in the game.

But it made no difference as Fulham held on to the victory that lifts them farther away from the foot of the table.