Fulham maintained their push for European football with a 1-0 win over Stoke City at Craven Cottage.

More Stories

• Matchcast: Fulham v Stoke
• Match gallery

Erik Nevland scored the only goal of the game, finishing off a rapid counter-attack after they had cleared a long-throw from Rory Delap.

Ryan Shawcross went closest for Stoke City, though failed to make proper contact with his close-range header in their only clear-cut chance of the game.

The result sees Fulham leapfrog West Ham United into seventh place, while Stoke remain 12th, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

The visitors began brightly, and perhaps surprised Fulham in the opening few minutes with the urgency of their pressing, while Ricardo Fuller and Rory Delap both fired over when presented with half-chances.

Fulham began to work themselves back into the game and regain control of the midfield, though lost Bobby Zamora to injury after 20 minutes.

Nevland's first significant touch was to nod a high ball down for Clint Dempsey to volley over from just outside the area, before the Norwegian broke the deadlock with a fine move moments later.

A long throw from Delap was cleared at the near post, and Nevland brought the ball clear through the centre, before feeding the marauding Andy Johnson down the right flank. Johnson raced into the area, before pulling a perfect pass back into the path of Nevland, who tucked the ball past Thomas Sorensen with aplomb.

It was to be Johnson's last action of note in the game, however, as he too limped off injured 10 minutes before half-time, to be replaced by Diomansy Kamara.

The Cottagers should have extended their advantage on 39 minutes after a superb free-kick routine between Danny Murphy and Paul Konchesky saw them slip in behind the Stoke back line with ease, only for John Paintsil to lift the ball over the bar from Konchesky's pull-back from close range.

The Cottagers remained in control at the start of the second half, though lacked the incisiveness that Johnson brought them in the first half.

Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes barely put a foot wrong for the Cottagers all afternoon despite the physical threat posed by Fuller, though they did lose Shawcross one on corner, and were grateful to see the big centre-back plant his header into the turf and over the bar.

With time ticking down, Stoke boss Tony Pulis threw on Henri Camara and Ibrahima Sonko, though Fulham's defence was not to be breached, despite the succession of high balls that rained in on their area in the final few minutes.

Dempsey's half-hearted shot was all that the home side could muster in terms of efforts on goal as their threat as an attacking force dried up, but it was at the other penalty area that they crucially held firm to close out the win.