Fulham fight back for victory

Roy Hodgson's men seemed dead and buried as they entered the last 20 minutes trailing to first-half strikes from Stephen Ireland and Benjani.

But, incredibly, Diomansy Kamara's introduction sparked a fightback. The former West Brom man struck first before Danny Murphy levelled, tapping home after Joe Hart had saved his spot-kick.

And then Kamara drove home in stoppage-time to complete a stunning victory, giving Fulham back-to-back away wins for the first time in almost five years and virtually ending City's hopes of European qualification.

Fulham's early confidence visibly ebbed away once Ireland had smoothly deposited his wonder strike into the top corner. There had appeared little immediate danger when Martin Petrov slipped a pass to the young midfielder, but Fulham failed to close Ireland down, offering the opportunity to curl his effort goalwards.

If that came out of the blue, Benjani's clinical finish to Darius Vassell's cutback was fairly predictable.

Even after City's early double, Kasey Keller continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, although opposite number Joe Hart was the more acrobatic.

Hart had already denied David Healy with a superb reaction save just before the break when he then palmed away Jimmy Bullard's free-kick midway through the second half.

At that point Fulham looked spent. Yet, from virtually nothing, they were given a new lease of life when Murphy's long ball found Kamara, who somehow turned past Vedran Corluka before firing through Hart's legs.

Sun Jihai dragged down substitute Eric Nevland in the penalty area 12 minutes from time and although Hart saved Murphy's first effort, he was helpless to prevent the former Liverpool man tapping home the rebound. Then Kamara burst through in the final minute and beat Hart to give Fulham three priceless points.