Gera keeps Cottagers’ hopes alive

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Todor Timonov fired against the bar in the opening stages but Fulham should have gone ahead in the ninth minute when Zoltan Gera was blatantly upended in the box.

However, the usually-reliable Danny Murphy fired his spot-kick over the bar and was fortunate to have his blushes spared just six minutes later, with Gera stopping to head in a Bjorn Helge Riise cross from close range.

Bobby Zamora, Christopher Smalling, Riise and Simon Davies all spurned opportunities to double Fulham’s advantage in a first half they dominated, but things changed after the interval.

Spas Delev missed a chance for the visitors, Damien Duff hacked a shot off the line and Stephen Kelly got away with a handball just before.