Brian McBride and Erik Nevland struck to haul Fulham out of the Barclays Premier League bottom three and leave Birmingham on the brink of relegation.

McBride converted Jimmy Bullard's 52nd-minute free-kick to edge the Cottagers out of the drop zone for the first time since Boxing Day, before Nevland sealed a famous 2-0 victory with a fine finish three minutes from time.

It was the first time the London club had registered successive league victories since September 2006 and the win sets them up beautifully for their nerve-shredding finale at Portsmouth.

Even manager Roy Hodgson appeared to accept his side's seven-year stay in the top flight was over after the 3-1 defeat by Sunderland a month ago, but their remarkable escape act continues.

With the stakes so high -