MANCHESTER City let a two goal lead slip against Fulham and had to settle for their third consecutive draw.

Joleon Lescott, with his first goal for the club, and Martin Petrov scored to put the Blues in command, but Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey ensured the game ended all square.

It could have been worse for City as Bobby Zamora brought a late save out of Given as memories flicked back to Fulham’s ’great escape’ from relegation with a 3-2 win at Eastlands in 2008.

Earlier, Micah Richards had had a first-half effort ruled out while Zamora and Diomansy Kamara were both guilty of glaring misses as the action swung from end to end.

City had brought back Craig Bellamy after missing out last week with a groin strain but Petrov had the first chance for the home side when he shot over the bar on 12 minutes.

Tevez came closest for the home side in the 33rd minute when he rose unchallenged to meet Petrov’s corner from the right but flashed his header onto the top of the net.

Emmanuel Adebayor also missed by inches four minutes from the break and moments later Richards headed home a Petrov corner - only for referee Kevin Friend to blow for a foul by Barry on Chris Baird.

City response

Zamora was guilty of one of the misses of the season on 47 minutes when Dempsey’s initial shot was parried by Given and the striker somehow screwed the rebound over the bar from six yards.

City responded by going in front in the 53rd minute when Barry nudged a Bellamy corner across to Adebayor and his weak shot was helped over the line by Lescott.

When City grabbed their second on the hour it seemed like plain sailing, Bridge feeding Petrov from the right and the midfielder curling an excellent effort past Schwarzer.

But Roy Hodgson’s men were far from sunk and they struck back just two minutes later when Zamora chested down a ball from Stephen Kelly and Duff shot home from the edge of the box.

A remarkable game took its further bizarre twist in the 67th minute when Dempsey fired Fulham level after finding space to meet Greening’s free-kick in the box.

Tempers flared in the 70th minute when Dempsey fell on the edge of the City box but referee Friend waved play-on and sub Shaun Wright-Phillips streaked up-field and force a save from Schwarzer.

For a time it seemed Fulham were set to repeat their comeback heroics of 2008 with Zamora shooting just wide then bringing another save from Given.

City ended the game looking more likely with Barry heading just wide, but even five extra minutes of injury time could not provide Hughes with the win he desperately wanted.

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