Fulham could get a shock route into the UEFA Cup as they avoided a booking and Manchester City had Richard Dunne sent off on the final day.Danny Murphy's 76th-minute header brought Roy Hodgson's team a fourth win in five games - and a third away triumph in a row - against Portsmouth as the Cottagers ensured their Premier League status for next season.

And now it has emerged that Fulham could be handed a place in the qualifying round for next season's UEFA Cup as reward for their success in the European Fair Play League.

England have already clinched another UEFA Cup place through this unlikely avenue and it goes to the 'fairest' team not already qualified for Europe - which looked certain, up until Sunday, to be Manchester City.

But City had Dunne sent off in their 8-1 trouncing at Middlesbrough and it is thought this could be enough to put them behind the Cottagers in the Fair Play League.

Fulham's communications officer Sarah Brooks said: "It is certainly a possibility that we could be playing in the UEFA Cup.

"It is a complicated situation in which administration efficiency is also taken into consideration as well as on-field behaviour but we know we are in a good position and expect to have confirmation from the Premier League early next week.

"For now, we have enough to celebrate over staying up but this could be another bonus, although we can't say more at this stage until all the documentation is in."

The notion of Fulham making the UEFA Cup having just dodged relegation brings a crazy slant to the entire process of European qualification and provides an almost surreal flavour to an amazing day when the club's hopes and dreams all came true.

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