Fulham boss Roy Hodgson muted the carnival atmosphere that descended on Craven Cottage after their 2-0 victory over Birmingham by declaring: "We're not safe yet."

Hodgson joined chairman Mohamed Al Fayed and the players for a lap of honour after goals from Brian McBride and Erik Nevland had fired the Cottagers to their third win in four games and out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone for the first time since Boxing Day.

Victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park in next Sunday's finale would complete a remarkable escape act and Hodgson is ready to demand one last push from his side.

He said: "We've been written off for a long time and I understand that because we've been at the bottom of the table for a long time.

"It's not been easy for myself and my players to consistently face questions like 'is that the end?' and 'are you finished?'.

"But it's not finished yet and the euphoria of this week could turn into sadness next Sunday if we're relegated. But if that happens, and most people thought it would happen long before this, then we will have gone down fighting and playing football."