Fulham 1-0 Liverpool

Clint Dempsey's late goal handed Fulham a 1-0 win against ten-man Liverpool at Craven Cottage.

Dempsey struck five minutes from time to seal a vital win for the Cottagers after Jay Spearing was sent off for Liverpool during the second half at Craven Cottage. The victory for Martin Jol's side moves them five points clear of the relegation places, while Liverpool stay seventh on 23 points. Fulham had the first chance on six minutes when Bryan Ruiz played through Moussa Dembele inside the Liverpool area but Jose Reina raced off his line to make the block. On eight minutes Liverpool had their first chance when Luis Suarez pulled the ball back across the Fulham penalty area for Andy Carroll but his drive was straight at Mark Schwarzer. Dembele had another effort from outside the area on 17 minutes which Reina got down well to parry away, while at the other end on 28 minutes Jordan Henderson beat Schwarzer with a curling effort, but the ball bounced back off the inside of the post and away to safety. Dempsey's swerving effort from 25 yards was parried away to safety by Reina on 37 minutes as the first half ended goalless. Luis Enrique had the first effort of the second half on 53 minutes which Schwarzer parried into the air before the ball was hacked clear from close to the goal-line, while Suarez had an effort disallowed for a marginal offside. The game turned on 72 minutes when Spearing's tackle on Dembele was deemed to be a straight red card offence by referee Kevin Friend as the Reds' midfielder appeared to raise his feet on the Cottagers' man. With an extra man advantage Fulham pushed forward with Dempsey curling a shot onto the crossbar, Dembele then fired straight at Reina in the middle of the area, before his run and shot went just wide on 82 minutes. Stewart Downing almost snatched a goal on the break for Liverpool but Schwarzer brilliantly denied his former Middlesbrough team-mate by tipping his effort onto the post. Fulham went back up-field to take the lead a minute later when Danny Murphy's low strike was spilled by Reina and Dempsey was on and to fire in the rebound from close range to win for the hosts.