A NIGHTMARE first half for Chris Baird helped league leaders Man City on their way to a 12th straight win on home soil in the Premier League.

Unlike the first meeting between the two teams at Craven Cottage back in September, the Whites were not able to fashion a recovery from 2-0 down and fell to another predictable away defeat at a snowy Etihad Stadium.

Baird (pictured) was caught out in the 10th minute when he stuck out a foot as Adam Johnson cut inside him in the area and although the Man City winger clearly made the most of it, ref Mike Dean had no doubt it was a foul.

Replays suggested Johnson conned the official by throwing his right leg at Baird before tumbling.

Sergio Aguero, who scored both goals in that 2-2 draw in west London, and the scourge of Fulham in the Europa League final, buried the spot kick past the left hand of Mark Schwarzer.

The Aussie stopper reclaimed the keeper's jersey from David Stockdale, having finally recovered from a back injury that has kept him out of the side since the visit to Swansea in mid December.

But Schwarzer's inclusion became less of a talking point than Martin Jol's decision to deploy Baird at left back instead of John Arrne Riise.

And after 30 minutes, that switch was exposed even more when the hapless Baird diverted a low shot from Johnson into his own net.

Baird did his best to make amends and on 64 minutes, he hit a crisp low shot straight at Joe Hart from a short free-kick outside the area.

But strikes on goal were not that plentiful for the Whites and on 72 minutes, it was game set and match when Aguero cut in from the left and offered up the simplest of chances for Edin Dzeko.

Fulham probably hoped the snow and sleet would come to their aid in the form of an abandonment. At one stage, play had to be halted twice to allow men with shovels to come on and clear the lines.

But Jol's men never looked like taking anything from the encounter - a couple of first half efforts from Simon Davies and Damien Duff as about as close as they came until they hit a post late on, when a cross deflected off a City defender and Riise came off the bench to put in a decent hit.

A late yellow card for Baird summed up a miserable afternoon for the Ulsterman, and his team.

Line-up: Schwarzer; Kelly, Senderos (Riise 73), Baird; Duff, Etuhu (Ruiz), Murphy, Davies; Dembele (Gecov 85), Dempsey. Subs not used: Stockdale, Hughes, Kasami, Frei.

Attendance: 46,963

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