Murphy strike denies City

Murphy: Late equaliser

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• Fulham
• Manchester City

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• Simon Davies
• Danny Murphy

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  • Martin Petrov
  • Hameur Bouazza
  • Emile Mpenza

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Substitute Danny Murphy scored to earn Fulham a point from a thrilling Premier League clash with Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

Murphy ran onto a flick from fellow substitute Seol Ki-Hyeon to equalise for Lawrie Sanchez's side after Martin Petrov's second goal had put City ahead for the first time.

Fulham went ahead in the 13th minute through Simon Davies and after Petrov's solo strike drew City level the hosts led again when Hameur Bouazza drove in a free-kick.

However, City were behind for just two minutes before Emile Mpenza scored and looked the likely winners after Petrov's second, only for Murphy to intervene.

Three weeks ago Fulham came back from 3-1 down to draw with Tottenham - from whom they had just bought Murphy.

Early impetus

It was David Healy and the lively Bouazza who gave the home side the early

impetus as they tried to take the game to City.

Richard Dunne, the City captain returning after suspension, made a superb tackle to deny Healy an early strike but let Davies escape him at the near post to head in Bouazza's left wing cross in the 13th minute.

City replied when Michael Johnson spread the ball out to the left and Petrov cut in past Chris Baird's tame challenge to fire a low shot which Antti Niemi could only help into the net.

Two minutes after the break Fulham led again when Dunne tripped substitute

Diomansy Kamara and Bouazza fired the free-kick through City's dishevelled

defensive wall.

That lead lasted only a minute when Niemi could only palm out Petrov's shot for Mpenza to notch an easy header from the rebound.

Petrov seemed to have won it 11 minutes later after exchanging passes with Elano and crashing in a shot that went in off Niemi's near post.

Double substitution

Fulham's looked to thrown away the match but then along came Murphy, who

had been part of a double substitution in the 65th minute, to nip in behind Dunne and place a calm shot beyond Kasper Schmeichel.

The same player almost won the contest for Fulham with a long-range deflected free-kick which Schmeichel clawed away from under the bar.

In a frantic finish City substitute Geovanni was only inches too high with a stoppage-time snapshot which almost brought the visitors a winner.

But the point was enough to move them back up the table into second, while

Fulham are fourth from bottom - two points clear of the relegation zone.