Fulham made a good start to life in Europe with a 3-1 win over Russian club FK Amkar Perm at Craven Cottage.

Striker Andy Johnson got the Cottagers off to a tremendous start when Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora worked together to set up a simple tap-in.

Johnson duly took his chance making it 1-0 after just four minutes.

Six minutes after the re-start, US international Dempsey got his name on the scoresheet with a brilliant strike from the edge of the area that found its way into the top left corner.

The visitors fell further behind fifteen minutes from time, when substitute Erik Nevland (on for the injured Johnson), glanced a header into the path of Zamora who finished sweetly, making it 3-0.

Amkar were able to grab a consolation two minutes later through Vitali Grishin, who fired home from a narrow angle to give his side a valuable away goal.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was happy with the win but rued the serious shoulder injury that Johnson suffered after a second-half challenge knocked him heavily to the ground.

''It was a good win against a difficult team but the game has been marred by the unbelievably blatant challenge on Andy Johnson,'' he said.

''It has dislocated his collarbone and put him out for a long time.

''In these times when referees are supposed to be clamping down on challenges, you get a challenge like that which goes punished with a yellow card and we lose a player for eight weeks.

''I don't think there's any doubt the defender should have been sent off.

''If you commit blatant fouls that not only stop someone from going one on one with the keeper, but also put them in hospital, there's a good chance you'll get a red card.''