Steed Malbranque makes sure that Fulham gets an away win.

At the 18th time of asking Fulham finally registered an away win in the Premiership with a 2-1 success at Manchester City.

Steed Malbranque - whom City boss Stuart Pearce tried to buy in the summer - proved to be the Cottagers' injury-time hero, finishing off a lightning counter-attack as the visitors turned the game on its head in the last five minutes.

After picking up only four points on their travels all season, the contest seemed to be following a familiarly depressing pattern for Fulham when Richard Dunne swept City in front midway through the second period.

But after substitute Georgios Samaras had wasted an excellent opportunity to double the hosts' lead, Collins John flashed home a close-range leveller for Fulham.

And then, once Liam Rosenior had denied Samaras with a brilliant goalline clearance, Fulham poured forward in stoppage time and Malbranque lashed home from 20 yards.

It was tough luck on the hosts, who edged a lively contest, but ultimately their failure to apply the killer touch cost them dear.

This was a game for which the phrase `meaningless end-of-season fixture' might have been invented and the enterprising approach of both sides suggested the pressures of the past eight months were no longer being applied. The effect was an open first half which lacked only a goal.

Captain Boa Morte assisted in both Fulham goals

Fulham made their attacking intentions clear inside the opening minute when full-back Rosenior strode onto a Heidar Helguson cut-back and drove narrowly wide.

From that moment on, chances came and went at regular intervals without bringing a breakthrough for either side.

The best opportunity fell to City, which was just about in keeping with the balance of play. Antoine Sibierski, recalled in place of Samaras, showed excellent anticipation to read where Joey Barton's free-kick was going to drop but, after controlling inside the six-yard area, he fired against Antti Niemi's legs.

Niemi twice denied Trevor Sinclair and also Claudio Reyna, although David James was hardly idle in the City goal.

The impressive Simon Elliott brought an excellent fingertip save from the England keeper, although Cottagers skipper Luis Boa Morte should have done far better than glance a close-range header wide seven minutes before the break.

By then, Fulham had lost central defender Zat Knight to what appeared to be a back injury, so they were thankful when Malbranque recovered from a ferocious tackle from Barton, which brought the game's first booking.

It was a harsh call on the combative midfielder as the challenge was reminiscent of one of his manager's and clearly took the ball before Malbranque was pole-axed.

At least it proved Barton remains committed to the City cause although, with his contract dispute still unresolved, the odds remain that his Blues career will end against Blackburn next Sunday.

Riera's City future also remains open to debate as his loan move from Espanyol is due to expire in the summer.

The Spaniard showed his capabilities in an outstanding second-half display at Aston Villa in midweek and he maintained that form against Fulham, darting down the left flank at regular intervals and getting himself involved in most of City's attacking moves.

Sibierski's influence also continued to grow throughout the contest, although when the opener arrived midway through the second period, neither of the continental duo was involved.

Dunne's effort came straight out of the route-one manual as Barton planted a free-kick onto the head of Micah Richards.

The youngster's last appearance on the ground had been in City's failed Youth Cup final bid, but the academy ranks will soon be a distant memory for the highly-rated 17-year-old, whose firm header fell perfectly for Dunne to sweep home.

Samaras should have doubled City's lead not long afterwards, but his failure to convert from an acute angle set up a thrilling finale, which began when John beat Dunne to Boa Morte's near-post cut-back and bundled home.

City must have thought they had got the win when Samaras exchanged passes with Sinclair and beat Niemi with a deft flick, only for Rosenior to race back and head away from virtually underneath the bar.

How important that clearance proved to be as, with virtually the final attack, Malbranque handed Fulham the away win they have been craving since last August.

Chris Coleman watched Steed Malbranque score the injury-time winner which sealed Fulham's first away win of the season, then confirmed he is 'desperate' to tie Frenchman down to an extended contract.

Confirmation of Jimmy Bullard's impending arrival from Wigan has raised doubts over Malbranque's long-term future at Craven Cottage.

As one of the three crown jewels - along with Luis Boa Morte and Papa Bouba Diop - in the Cottagers' crown, Coleman knows he could get big money for the man today's opponents Manchester City tried to sign at the start of the season.

But, as he attempts to turn Fulham into a top-10 club, Coleman is desperate to keep his best players - and Malbranque is one of the men in his sights.

'If I am talking about building a top squad, there is no point us selling our best players and Steed is one of them,' said Coleman.

'We are desperate for him to stay and want to extend his contract immediately.

'We can play Steed centrally, we can play him wide right or we can play him behind the strikers. And his finish today was top quality.'

After losing the likes of Louis Saha and Edwin van der Sar over the last couple of seasons, Coleman is determined he will only let more big names leave if Fulham receive bids which cannot feasibly be turned down.

'Let's be honest, we are looking at Malbranque, Boa Morte and Diop,' he said.

'They would get into most Premiership teams and quite a lot abroad too. That is just a fact.

'But what do we want to do. We could cash in and make a lot of money - and if we did that I would make sure we got more money than their actual value - or we can try to retain them.

'You have to draw the line somewhere. You can't keep losing your best players and those three are our best players.

'If we were going to lose them, it would have to be for a staggering amount of money. But what is the point just going round in circles.'

Had Fulham collected even an average points tally on their travels this term, they could well have been looking at a European place.

Instead, they had mustered just four points before today's encounter and Coleman admitted the Londoners had to ride their luck before collecting another three at City's expense.

A home win seemed certain when Richard Dunne swept the Blues in front midway through the second half.

But, after Georgios Samaras had wasted an excellent chance to double City's lead, Collins John levelled and, once Samaras had seen his goalbound effort brilliantly cleared off the line by Leroy Rosenior, Malbranque struck the decisive blow from 20 yards.

'I am bitterly disappointed,' admitted City boss Stuart Pearce, whose side have now lost seven of their last eight games.

'Results have been poor over the past couple of months but, from my own point of view, I quite understood, both last summer and at Christmas, what was needed at this club. Maybe this run has focused the attention of one or two people outside my office.

'Maybe the players are feeling sorry for themselves. I feel sorry for them because we are going to have to start working - and I mean working.'

Man City James, Richards, Dunne, Distin, Sommeil, Sinclair,Barton, Reyna, Riera, Sibierski (Flood 80),Vassell (Samaras 66).
Subs Not Used: Weaver, Musampa, Jihai.

Booked: Barton.

Goals: Dunne 69.

Fulham Niemi, Rosenior, Knight (Christanval 26), Pearce,Bridge, Malbranque, Diop, Elliott, Boa Morte,Helguson (John 66), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Crossley, Volz, Radzinski.

Booked: Papa Bouba Diop (68,f), Philippe Christanval (77,f), Steed Malbranque (78,f).

Goals:
Collins John 84, with a left-footed shot into thebottom-right of goal from the centre of penalty area. The assist came from a cross by Luis Boa Morte.

Steed Malbranque 90, with a right-footed shot into the bottom-right of the goal from the right side of penalty area, 18 yards out. The assist pass was from Luis Boa Morte.

Att: 41,128

Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).