THE faithful came in hope but left in despair after this thoroughly depressing stalemate left the escape hatch all but shut for Middlesbrough in their desperate bid to avoid the drop. With Arsenal and Manchester United up next, there was little to lift the gloom on Teesside.

Yes, Gareth Southgate’s team were spirited, and with luck they could have snatched maximum points in what was always marked down as a must-win game. But in reality they again showed a lack of quality and composure at a time when it was most needed.

The damage had already been done before this draw, and the grim statistics do not give much room for optimism. Middlesbrough have won only three of their past 21 games and their points total at this stage of the season is their lowest ever in the Premier League.

The desperate plight of the Teessiders was underlined last week by Southgate, their principled manager, asking his players to abandon nice football in favour of a bit of street-fighting. But they were up against a Fulham side who favour stability rather than flair— and remarkably, seven of yesterday’s side have started every game this season. They arrived in a mood keen to secure their highest finishing position.

With both teams unchanged, it was the visitors who showed the more composure as they faced a fast and furious pinball-style onslaught from the hosts in the early stages. Backed by a bumper Riverside crowd, it was the dependable Stewart Downing on the left flank and Tuncay on the other posing the most threat.

In the opening stages Jeremie Aliadiere looped the ball across for Downing to push narrowly wide. Moments later, Marlon King headed just over. Downing then fired a long-range effort just the wrong side of the woodwork.

But Fulham, looking for a third successive away victory, simply soaked up the pressure and before the interval they also had their fair share of opportunities.

Bobby Zamora failed by a bootlace to get the final touch on the six-yard line. Then, from a ball over the top, striker Andrew Johnson outstripped the defence to send a curling shot against the base of the far post. More serious damage was avoided from the merest deflection by David Wheater.

This game marked the return of Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to the club he served so well in 11 years, with 446 appearances, before leaving on a free transfer in the summer. And of course in such circumstances he turned in a star performance.

At the start of the second half as Middlesbrough kept up the pace, the giant Australian produced three spectacular saves in quick succession. The first, and the best, saw him somehow claw away Tuncay’s close-range header before blocking Downing’s point-blank shot and then finally pushing Tony McMahon’s drive over the bar.

After those flurry of chances Middlesbrough had lots of possession but little in the way of goalmouth incidents. Near the end Fulham so nearly came away with all the points as Zamora, who was completely unmarked, sliced wide with only Brad Jones to beat in the Middlesbrough goal. In the four minutes of stoppage time Fulham substitute Diomansy Kamara’s shot was blocked by McMahon. The final whistle signalled an exodus from an almost silent stadium.

Southgate, though, refused to give up. “Everybody will look at our fixtures and feel that we are gone,” he said, “but we are just managing to hang in there. You just don’t know what can happen, you really don’t. All the teams we play have got something to play for, so they have got their own pressures.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson added: “I’m very pleased with the point, I thought Middlesbrough were very good. They now have five more battles and it won’t be easy.”

STAR MAN: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)

MIDDLESBROUGH:Jones 6, Taylor 6, Aliadiere 5, Alves 5 (Johnson 83min), Huth 5, King 5, Tuncay 7, Downing 7, Bates 6, McMahon 6, Wheater 6.
FULHAM: Schwarzer 8, Konchesky 6, Pantsil 6, Hangeland 6, Johnson 7 (Kamara86min), Zamora 6, Murphy 7, Hughes 7, Etuhu 6, Dempsey 6, Davies 6 (Gera 70min) 8.