Steed Malbranque

Fulham midfielder Steed Malbranque celebrated his come-back from injury by heaping further pressure on under fire Newcastle boss Graeme Souness.

Malbranque was making only his second appearance of the last month - with a thigh strain his latest setback.

But the Frenchman showed no rustiness as he buried the only goal of the Barclays Premiership match after coming on as a second half substitute.

Antti Niemi made his Fulham debut after completing a £1million move from Southampton earlier in the week and made two magnificent late saves to ensure his new employers finished with all three points.

The Cottagers offered more as an attacking force with striker Heidar Helguson, back after a hip injury, squandering the best opportunity of the first-half and striking the bar after the break.

Brian McBride, also returning after a spell in the treatment room with a neck problem, also caused problems.

Newcastle, who were weakened by yet another injury this morning when Titus Bramble failed a fitness test after damaging his foot, had a Jean-Alain Boumsong chance cleared off the line and would have snatched a share of the spoils but for Niemi's late brilliance.

The visitors started brightly and a dangerous early ball from Albert Luque across the face of goal caused a few worries in the Fulham defence - but Ian Pearce eventually cleared the danger.

The Cottagers should have taken the lead in the eighth minute when a botched clearance only went as far as Tomasz Radzinski, with the Canadian international headed flick-on finding Helguson.

But the Icelandic striker rushed his shot and blasted it straight into the body of Shay Given when the goalkeeper would have been well beaten had Helguson shown a little more accuracy.

Alan Shearer was jeered for an apparent elbow of Pearce while Boumsong rescued Newcastle when McBride's strength threatened to cause problems.

Given tipped a fine long-range effort from Radzinski over the bar as Fulham continued to press but Niemi was then forced to make his first save in the Fulham goal, with Charles N'Zogbia testing him.

Tempers began to fray with several players going into referee Alan Wiley's book for heavy challenges - Fulham's Sylvain Legwinski and Newcastle's Lee Clark and Stephen Carr all seeing yellow.

The flurry of chances had begun to dry up with the game shifting in favour of a midfield battle, but Luis Boa Morte caused problems around the edge of the Newcastle area.

Newcastle threatened towards the end of the first half through Carr but defender Zat Knight was on hand to clear to safety.

Newcastle replaced Carr with Robert Elliott at half-time and the visitors nearly made an early breakthrough with Niemi making a mess of two crosses.

The ball was slipped to Shearer after one weak punch clear but the former England striker failed to pull the trigger in time with Fulham's defence pressurising.

Radzinski had a shot blocked from close range following a marauding run from Legwinski while Shearer and N'Zogbia went close at the other end.

Radzinski was replaced by Malbranque before fine saves from both keepers maintained the deadlock - with Niemi keeping out Shearer and Given catching a powerful Malbranque shot which was dipping towards the bottom left corner.

Boumsong nearly opened his Newcastle account in the 71st minute but his effort was cleared off the line by Niclas Jensen with some last-gasp defending.

Newcastle's misery was compounded in the next attack when Fulham finally broke the deadlock.

McBride threaded a pass to Collins John and the substitute tried his luck from an acute angle and forced a fine save from Given - but the ball fell into the path of Malbranque, who made no mistake from close range.

Helguson then struck the bar as Fulham attempted to put the result beyond doubt.

But the Cottagers had the stunning reactions of Niemi to thank for preserving their lead with the Finn denying Michael Chopra and Lee Bowyer.

Boa Morte, playing against the club who tried to sign him last summer, blasted a free-kick over the crossbar in the dying moments as Fulham held on for all three points.

Fulham Niemi, Rosenior, Knight, Pearce, Niclas Jensen, Radzinski (Malbranque 62), Boa Morte, Legwinski (John 73), Elliott, Helguson, McBride.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Volz, Goma.

Booked: Legwinski. (27,f)

Goals:
Malbranque 75 right-footed into low centre of goal from centre of penalty area 6 yards out.

Newcastle Given, Carr (Elliott 45), Boumsong, Ramage, Babayaro, Solano, Bowyer, Clark, N'Zogbia (Chopra 77), Shearer, Luque (O'Brien 80).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Brittain.

Booked: Clark, Carr.

Att: 21,974

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).