CITY boss Stuart Pearce's failure to land transfer target Steed Malbranque came back to haunt him at Craven Cottage as the French star grabbed both goals - and left the Blues boss lamenting his side's previously celebrated defending.

Pearce twice tried to capture the midfielder before the closure of the transfer window, offering £5m for the playmaker as he looked to strengthen City's creative options.

Malbranque turned down the move - and although his belief that joining City would be a sideways move has been dispelled, his virtuoso performance proved key to halting the Blues' chance of moving into second in the table.

Pearce has been linked with another move for the Frenchman when the transfer window opens in January - and will have seen once again for himself just how impressive a player he can be.

Malbranque pounced in the sixth minute and on the stroke of half-time with two simple tap-ins, showing great composure in rounding City goalkeeper David James for the superbly-taken second.

Fulham captain Luis Boa Morte set-up both goals and gave a typically fiery display which saw him tangle with City midfielder Joey Barton and earn a final warning from referee Rob Styles.

Equaliser

Malbranque's double sandwiched a well-constructed equaliser from City with Lee Croft scoring his first Premiership goal, a fitting reward given his impressive work on the right.

Pearce will be furious at some of City's defending in the first half but will be equally thankful Fulham's finishing was not a little sharper early on as they could have been out of sight by the 10th minute.

In contrast the visitors' strike partnership of Andy Cole - returning to Craven Cottage for the first time since joining City in July - and Darius Vassell were given little chance to shine.

Danish left-back Niclas Jensen was in the thick of the action as Fulham attacked from the whistle, releasing Boa Morte into the box only for the ball to over-run the Portuguese winger.

Jensen delivered a perfect free-kick to Brian McBride but the American, recalled when Claus Jensen failed a fitness test, could not connect cleanly with his header and Tomasz Radzinski's follow-up was deflected to safety.

Jensen continued to enjoy a prominent role, taking advantage of a retreating City defence to find Collins John who manoeuvred into a shooting position only to find the arms of James.

It came as little surprise when they took a sixth-minute lead through Malbranque, who made sure City's lethargic defending was punished this time.

Simple

Richard Dunne - back in the side after missing the last four matches with a knee injury - failed to deal with a simple ball and Boa Morte leapt onto the mistake, racing ahead and presenting Malbranque with a simple tap-in.

Radzinski should have doubled Fulham's lead after being set up by McBride but he stumbled and his effort crept wide as City continued to find themselves under heavy pressure.

They weathered the storm, however, and were rewarded by a fine 20th-minute equaliser from their first meaningful attack.

Vassell made inroads down the left before cutting inside and passing to Stephen Ireland who spotted Croft unmarked on the right of the penalty area, giving the midfielder time to pick his spot and rifle home.

John tested James with a powerful 34th-minute shot from an acute angle before Boa Morte was booked five minutes later for a swinging arm on Joey Barton and then given a final warning from Styles as he continued to protest.

Styles then spoke to Coleman, who tried to calm Boa Morte, but his words were hardly needed as the winger channelled his energy in the right direction by setting up Fulham's second.

The former Arsenal marksman threaded a 45th-minute pass through to Malbranque and the Frenchman easily rounded James before slipping the ball into the back of the net.

Marauding

In the second half a marauding run from Croft opened up Fulham and his pass to Cole was a good one but the former Cottagers striker just failed to get his shot off on time before heading wide shortly after.

Radzinski made inroads down the left but McBride failed to meet his cross, despite an acrobatic effort, and then Croft went on the rampage again with Vassell squandering the chance.

McBride blasted over from long range while stout defending from Fulham kept City - who looked dangerous on the counter - at bay on more than one occasion.

James prevented City going further behind with fine saves from John and McBride and then it was the turn of Fulham keeper Tony Warner to come to the rescue, tipping over a Vassell header.

City thought they had equalised in injury time through Bradley Wright-Phillips but the linesman's flag had gone up for offside and Fulham held on for their third Premiership victory of the season.

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