Fulham sign off at the Cottage with win over Sunderland

FULHAM remain in with a shout of equalling their best ever season in the Premier League after a win which carried an all-too familiar tense finish as the Whites held on.

They are now to eighth in the table, a point behind Everton with one game to play and have to win at Spurs next Sunday and hope for a slip-up by the Merseysiders at home to Newcastle to go up another place.

Even without that happening, Martin Jol – back on the beat after missing the last two matches with a chest infection – should feel satisfied at the way his first season has panned out.

Clint Dempsey rifled in his 23 ^rd goal of the season – and 17 ^th in the league – after only 12 minutes to set up victory. Seconds after Phil Bardsley had smacked in a superb angled equaliser from outside the area on 34 minutes, Moussa Dembele (pictured) restored the lead with a deflected drive.

Dempsey finding the net was no surprise, given his superb form in front of goal all season, and it was a perfect way for him to sign offf the season at Craven Cottage.

But Dembele's strike was only his second of the season and his first since the win at Wigan at the end of October.

Even then, the dubious goals panel might rob him of a rare moment of glory, as his effort appeared to be heading wide of the post until it was helped on its way by clipping off Sunderland's Michael Turner.

What is not in dispute is that Dembele did superbly to make it all happen – collecting a short pass from John Arne Riise on half way and then haring into space before unleashing his drive.

Dempsey's improved dead ball skills have contributed to the American's quantum leap in form in this campaign and he struck the ball cleanly around the wall after Mohamadou Diarra had been upended by serial transgressor Lee Cattermole.

The orange booted Dempsey almost grabbed his second goal of the afternoon seven minutes into the second half with an effort cleared off the line by Jack Colback.

Dembele also almost got a second after 73 minutes, when only keeper Simon Mignolet's leg got in the way of a goalbound shot. Dempsey was the inevitable provider of the chance as the duo linked up time and again to torment the visitors.

And the Belgian was unlucky when, with two minutes tio go, the Sunderland keeper once again denied the striker, who had skipped around two defenders to create space inside the area.

Mid-table Sunderland did not look particularly ambitious in the first half. Their Premier League status for next season was confirmed long ago and Martin O'Neill's side did not looked switched on.

But their big find of the campaign, Stephane Sessegnon, almost netted in the first half, wriggling free of markers inside the area to force Mark Schwarzer into a save.

And the arrival of Nicklas Bendtner as a sub on the hour seemed to galvanise the visitors.

The former Arsenal striker curled a good chance wide but then set up an even better opening for Sessegnon with a head down – his strike partner missing the target from what was Sunderland's clearest chance of the match.

Schwarzer also had to be alert to keep out a late scrambled effort from another sub – Fraazer Campbell. Overall, though, Fulham were good value for their win.

The goal Sunderland did score - from Bardsley - was a bolt out of the blue. Dong-Won Ji layed the ball back for the full-back, and he arrowed a shot inside Schwarzer's left hand post.

Line up: Schwarzer; Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Diarra, Murphy (Baird 85), Dembele; Duff, Pogrebnyak (Frei 82), Dempsey. Subs not used: Stockdale, Kasami, Senderos, Kacaniklic, Trotta.

Attendance: 25,683