Premier League: Fulham 1 Birmingham 1

Injury hit Fulham’s winless English Premier League run stretched to five games after they were held 1-1 by Birmingham at Craven Cottage.

The Midlands side, buoyed by their win over champions Chelsea last week, left London with a deserved point after Clint Dempsey cancelled out Sebastian Larsson’s opener.

Fulham made the brighter start of the two sides and almost took the lead within the first five minutes. A Simon Davies corner was stabbed towards goal by defender Aaron Hughes, but Larsson was on hand to clear off the line.

Birmingham responded through Lee Bowyer, when his drilled shot from the edge of the Fulham area skimmed just wide of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer’s upright.

Diomansy Kamara was given the responsibility of leading the Fulham line in the absence of Bobby Zamora and Moussa Dembele and with Andy Johnson only fit enough for the bench, and his selection almost paid dividends. With far too much time given to him on the corner of the Birmingham area, he picked out Dempsey, whose shot on the turn flew just wide of Ben Foster’s goal.

But it was Birmingham who made the breakthrough thanks to some excellent work by Alexander Hleb.

The former Arsenal man set up another ex-Gunner in Larsson, who lashed into the bottom corner from six yards.

Mark Hughes’ men almost drew level as the half drew to a close, but Kamara’s overhead kick only found the side netting.

Fulham emerged from half-time guns ablaze and Kamara forced a fine save from Foster low down at his near post.

But Fulham didn’t have to wait long to get back on level terms.

Gera rose unchallenged to knock a Fulham corner back across the face of goal and Dempsey hurled himself through a crowd of players to head home his fifth league goal of the season.

Fulham were rampant but found Foster in good form, with the England goalkeeper tipping Dempsey’s stinging volley around the post with 20 minutes to go.

It was Birmingham, however, who came closest to taking the lead when, against the run of play, defender Scott Dann’s header cannoned off the bar from a corner.