Incident-packed draw fails to lift lowly Fulham

Fulham failed to drag themselves away from the lower reaches of the Premier League on Saturday after an incident-packed goalless draw at home to Sunderland.

It was the away side which made the early running, Roy Keane's men looking to repeat last season's 3-1 win at Craven Cottage.

Both Djibril Cisse and Kieran Richardson probed in the first 10 minutes, with the England star forcing a snappy stop from Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer.

That early burst seemed to spark the slow-off-the-blocks Fulham, who rallied through upfront duo Jimmy Bullard and Andy Johnson.

Richardson, by far the most dangerous player, rattled in a rasping free-kick in the 40th minute, which somehow managed to hit the woodwork three times before a thankful Schwarzer gathered.

There was no scoring by half-time but plenty of talking points for fans. It was Keane however who had a few things to say to the referee at the start of the second half.

Richardson hammered home a crisp free-kick in the 54th minute, but it was controversially disallowed after Pascal Chimbonda was adjudged to have backed into the home side's wall.

A bullish Bullard tried to ignite a Fulham advance when he smashed in a 25-yard piledriver five minutes later, but Craig Gordon kept it out.

Frenchman Cisse was next up, cracking the crossbar in the 75th minute when he fired from the edge of the box.

In the last quarter-hour, it was the Black Cats who had their backs to the wall as Fulham prowled for the opener which never came, leaving them fourth from bottom.