Cottagers' escape act continues

McBride: Vital opener

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Fulham's miraculous survival bid continued after they saw off Birmingham at Craven Cottage.

Brian McBride and Eric Nevland were the heroes for the Cottagers as they picked up three invaluable points in a 2-0 win.

With so much at stake for both teams it came as no surprise that the first-half was an edgy affair, bereft of clear cut opportunities and free-flowing football.

Fulham arguably settled the quickest and it was they who created the better chances in front of goal.

They could have taken the lead inside 10 minutes had Maik Taylor not produced an outstanding save to keep out Simon Davies' close-range effort, but the Blues defence ultimately held firm.

Birmingham struggled to put together prolonged periods of possession, and it was the hosts who went close again right at the end of the opening 45 minutes when Radhi Jaidi was forced into a desperate block to deny Diomansy Kamara.

The tension around Craven Cottage was finally lifted though just seven minutes into the second period when Brian McBride stooped to meet a Jimmy Bullard free-kick and diverted a firm header past Maik Taylor.

Roy Hodgson's side knew how important victory was to them, and made the game safe three minutes from time when Eric Nevland benefited from a mistake from Frank Queudrue to burst clear and hammer a low drive into the bottom corner.

Inspiration

To their credit Fulham tried to play football while a workmanlike Birmingham relied on James McFadden for their only moments of inspiration.

The opening of the match was greeted by a crescendo of noise as Fulham fans, armed with 'clappers', sought to lift their team.

And they were almost given the dream start when McBride headed a cross by Paul Konchesky onto the crossbar, although the linesman had wrongly flagged offside.

Lightning reflexes from Taylor denied Fulham in the eighth minute as Davies pulled the trigger on Bullard's free-kick only for the Blues goalkeeper to intervene superbly.

Errors began to creep into Fulham's play just as they sought to crank up the pressure on a side that has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 17 matches.

Brave defending from centre-back Brede Hangeland snuffed out two promising attacks by Birmingham, whose influence on the match was growing.

A corner from the left resulted in some aerial ping-pong with Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and Clint Dempsey scrambling desperately to clear.

McFadden sliced Fulham open with a jinking run that Sebastian Larsson concluded with a dangerous cross that Mikael Forssell could not control.

The Cottagers' goal was coming under mounting pressure but their defence, led by the magnificent Hangeland, were keeping them at bay.

Play became increasingly cagey but one slick interchange by Fulham, involving Bullard and Dempsey, interrupted the midfield battle that was unfolding.

Sloppy

Only a crucial interception from Hughes prevented Birmingham from taking the lead in the 42nd minute with McFadden again doing the damage.

The Scotland forward weaved his way into space and picked out Forssell who only had keeper Kasey Keller to beat but Hughes arrived in the nick of time.

Fulham started the second half with a flourish and crept ahead in the 52nd minute.

Jaidi conceded a free-kick for an elbow on McBride that Bullard lofted into the box, and the American striker escaped some sloppy marking to nod home virtually on his knees.

Birmingham were at panic stations once again a heartbeat later when Kamara jinked his way into the box but he chose to shoot from an acute angle when he should have squared across goal.

McFadden flashed narrowly wide and in the 68th minute Kamara - who had ousted David Healy from the starting line-up - was replaced by Nevland.

Birmingham won a dangerous free-kick but failed to use their controversial tactic of using Jaidi to block the goalkeeper's vision and Fulham cleared the danger.

Dempsey missed a good chance to extend the lead when he sent a close-range header over the crossbar.

The tension of the occasion appeared to be getting to Fulham as they repeatedly gave the ball away, but they put the result beyond doubt with four minutes to go.

Nevland collected a bouncing ball, escaped Jaidi in a sprint into the box before rifling past Taylor.