Going ahead, giving away a Reading equaliser, Fulham found another gear late in the second half and ran out 3-1 winners. Invaluable points for them in the tight circumstances.

This was a game neither side, in their present predicament, could afford to lose, and it would be Fulham who took the lead after 16 minutes.

Even an excellent save by the Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann – reportedly agitating for a new contract – could not, as it transpired, rescue his team. When Simon Davies took a Fulham corner from the right, the ball came out to Aaron Hughes, who thumped in a fierce drive that Hahnemann managed to turn away at full stretch. Diomansy Kamara took the subsequent corner short to Hameur Bouazza, whose cross was only half-cleared with an inadequate defensive header by Reading striker Dave Kitson and Davies beat Hahnemann with a fulminating shot. It was a very different Fulham from the one that laboured their last home game to a draw with Derby; far more confident and energetic, potentially penetrating.

After that largely dour first half, the second began a good deal more brightly. Fulham were clearly having trouble with the tall redheaded Kitson. Last week against Newcastle, he had struck a magnificent top-corner goal and his power and persistence on the ground were setting Fulham problems.

On 51 minutes, a clumsy and desperate attack by Elliot Onozui on Stephen Hunt resulted in a fierce swerving right-footed free kick by the midfielder, James Harper, but Antti Niemi, who had been Fulham’s undoubted saviour in their previous three games, launched himself full-length to turn the ball out of danger.

Fulham immediately retaliated with an excellent exchange of passes between Dempsey and Davies that ended with Davies bending a fast and dangerous ball across the Reading goal to which, however, no Fulham colleague could get a touch.

On 54 minutes Reading equalised when Graeme Murty’s inswinging corner was headed in by Doyle, now in the central area he prefers after spending much of the match in a wide position.

There was drama in abundance in the closing minutes when Fulham, increasingly penetrative against a Reading defence now giving them far too much space, not only threatened more goals but indeed scored another. On 85 minutes, when substitute David Healy launched Davies on the right, another substitute, Shefki Kuqi should really have put away his accurate cross. Healy himself had a shot held by Hahnemann but in the 90th minute, he was destined to score Fulham’s third.

Once again, Davies crossed from the right and, with the visiting defence in disarray, Healy had no trouble in scoring.

Right at the end, Omozusi was sent off for a second yellow card, but this could hardly dampen Fulham’s jubilation.

Star man: Simon Davies (Fulham)

Player ratings: Fulham: Niemi 7, Stefanovic 6, Omozusi 6, Hughes 7, Ashton 6, Davies 7, Murphy 6, Davis 6, Bouazza 6 (Kuqi 60min), Dempsey 7, Kamara 6 (Healy 67min)

Reading: Hahnemann 7, Murty 6 (Long 87min), Sonko 6, Duberry 6, Shorey 7, Gunnarsson 6, Harper 6, Hunt 6, Doyle 7, Lita 5 (Convey 76min), Kitson 7