Magic Murphy keeps his head to guide Fulham to Premier League safety

Murphy, the veins bulging on his shaven head, disappeared beneath a pile of black and red shirts. Reading and Birmingham were winning elsewhere and only victory would be enough for Fulham to escape relegation.

This goal might be worth about £35million — the difference between the riches of the Barclays Premier League bonanza and the relatively meagre offerings of a parachute payment.

Hodgson allowed himself a broad smile but he never budged from his seat on the bench.

"It must have been the Valium," he joked afterwards. "It might be superstition. Normally, I stand up through the games but this time I sat and I didn't want to break the magic spell. We went one up with me sitting down, I thought we might win it 1-0 with me sitting down."

The final 14 minutes dragged by. So did three minutes of added time. Pompey probed for an equaliser but they are stuck in a rut at the moment, heading into the FA Cup Final on the back of four straight defeats.

Kasey Keller plucked Sulley Muntari's lofty corner kick out of the air in the closing seconds and when Mark Clattenburg blew the final whistle Fulham were safe.

For the first time in their seven seasons in the Premier League they had won three away games on the trot. They saved it for when they needed it most, staying up on goal difference with 36 points. This time Hodgson was up on his feet but, typically dignified, he hugged his backroom staff and waited to shake hands with the Pompey players before strolling towards his players, celebrating in front of their fans behind one of the goals.

"Of course it's a relief," said Hodgson. "I feel a lot of satisfaction but I feel a lot of sympathy for those who have gone down; for Alex McLeish and Steve Coppell, both friends of mine, both excellent managers.

"Having had so long to contemplate the fact it might be us going, I know exactly how they're feeling. In this game, when you win, somebody else loses.

"We were aware the other results weren't going for us and only a win would suffice. We were playing against a very well organised defence but I'm pleased with the way the players kept their shape and kept plugging away, trying to do the right things.

"I was worried we'd be gung-ho because we knew we had to win. Would we start trying to do things individually? Would we start flying forward? There were a couple of long shots early in the second half which didn't please me much.

"But I always thought, if we could make sure they didn't score and be in the game with 15 minutes to go, maybe something will come our way. And it did. But if that game could have stopped the minute Danny's header went in, I'd have been the happiest man in the world."

Murphy had gone close early in the second half when Simon Davies landed a cross on his head but his effort was tame and easily saved by Jamie Ashdown, deputising again for David James, who had collected six Portsmouth Player of the Year trophies from different groups before kick off.

James has a calf injury but insists he will be fit for the Cup Final. Sol Campbell also rested a tight hamstring yesterday, Papa Bouba Diop was missing and Muntari was only a sub.

Ashdown made a superb save after only five minutes, dropping a strong left hand onto a crisp effort from Davies, but Kasey Keller was the busiest 'keeper during the first half, with Niko Kranjcar peppering his goal from around the edge of the penalty area.

The visitors had more purpose after the break but Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp insisted: "I couldn't see them scoring. We were the better side. But what Fulham have done has been terrific, to get out of that has been unbelievable. They have come from nowhere with this run."

Fulham were the equivalent of match point down when they trailed 2-0 at Manchester City on April 26 but fought back to win 3-2.

'Our performance in that second half gave us belief, it was light at the end of the tunnel,' said Murphy. 'It's been a hell of a few weeks and to top it off with a performance like that is incredible. People had written us off. We always had belief but you think you might have left it too late.

'It's got to be one of the most important goals I've ever scored. A lot of Liverpool fans will remember me for the goals against Manchester United but, in terms of importance, this one will never be forgotten by Fulham fans or by my me."

Or by Mohamed al Fayed, who joined the celebrations on the pitch, twirling his oversized scarf around his head, soaking up the occasion and congratulating himself on the appointment of Hodgson in December.

There's even an outside chance Fulham could beat Manchester City to a place in Europe in the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League. Would that be enough to tempt Hodgson to break his pre-match pledge to toast victory with a glass of water?

"When you've had such a great day, that's celebration enough," he said. "You need the comfort of a glass of wine and a cigar, in the old days when my wife allowed me to smoke, after defeats. You don't necessarily need it after victories. I might even watch Match of the Day."