No place like home for Baird as he eyes survival

Fulham have not lost at home in the league since the Boxing Day humiliation inflicted by West Ham that left Mark Hughes's men mired in the relegation zone. Six subsequent league games at their ground have yielded 16 points from a possible 18.

Now Baird goes into tonight's clash against Bolton confident that achieving revenge for an FA Cup defeat against Owen Coyle's team will secure Fulham's place among the English elite for an 11th consecutive season.

Fulham are just five points above the relegation zone and Baird, vying with leading goalscorer Clint Dempsey to be his club's player-of-the-season award, said: "It takes only a few of those teams at the bottom of the table to get a couple of wins and it could drag you right back down again."

But the 50-cap Northern Ireland international, Fulham's 'Mr Versatile' after playing left-back, centre-half and in midfield before becoming the club's regular right-back, added: "We're nearly there. Bolton beat us at home in the FA Cup so we know to expect a tough, hard game against a strong, physical team.

"But I fancy us against anyone at home. On our patch we're hard to beat so I think we'll be comfortable and safe."

A win tonight will give Fulham 42 points, good enough for ninth place in the table. That will satisfy Baird, who said: "We can push on from there. To cement that top-10 finish is the aim for us. Given the injuries we've suffered, it would make for another fantastic season."

Baird has had to fight to establish himself at Fulham after joining the club from Southampton in the summer of 2007. The 29-year-old initially failed to win over the Fulham faithful after Lawrie Sanchez paid £3million to bring him from St Mary's to the Cottage.

Baird said: "I heard the abuse. It wasn't nice but that's part and parcel of football. If you're not doing it on the pitch then things are going to be said. Everybody knows it was a bad time for me, a frustrating time.

"I just kept my head down and got on with it. I have an inner belief. I know I'm a good player when I want to be. Everyone has to fight for their position but maybe I worked that extra bit harder and wanted it more. When I did get my chance I kept hold of it."

And how. Last season, the tireless Baird made 52 appearances for Fulham - only goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Aaron Hughes played more - including a starring role in the sensational 4-1 win over Italian giants Juventus at Craven Cottage in the Europa League. He started that game in midfield but this season he has blossomed as a right-back. So much so that he has kept cult hero John Pantsil out of the side.

Baird said: "Centre-half is my favourite position but when I first came to the club I played right-back and I got torn to bits, I didn't have a clue what to do.

"Roy Hodgson and now Mark Hughes have worked on it with me and I feel that's now my position and I'm playing it well. From my perspective, it shows how far I've come."

Indeed, after enduring those first jeers, he now draws cheers and extravagant chants of "Bairdinho".

"That's nice," said Baird, whose determined progress was rewarded last September with a three-year extension to his contract. "Things have changed for me as a player. I'm enjoying my football and I'm enjoying my time here, I'm loving it."

Bobby Zamora is set to return to Fulham's starting line-up tonight after being relegated to the substitutes' bench at Wolves on Saturday in order to protect a hip injury, while Damien Duff remains unavailable with an Achilles injury.

For Bolton, who have collected just one point from their last nine away league fixtures, Daniel Sturridge will have a late test on an ankle knock picked up in Saturday's 2-1 win over Arsenal during which the Chelsea loan player scored his seventh goal in nine games.

Tickets for tonight's clash at the Cottage, which kicks-off at 8pm, will be available on the gate, with junior (under-16) admission from £5. Full details at www.fulhamfc.com/tickets