Scott Parker felt his Fulham side looked “a little bit jaded” in their goalless draw with Brighton at Craven Cottage.
Adam Lallana thought he had scored his first goal for Brighton since joining the club in the summer but it was ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up.
It was a cagey game of few chances, which resulted in just eight shots on target – four from each team – as neither side was able to find a decisive breakthrough, but it was enough for Fulham to move out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Parker said: “I felt tonight we probably lacked a little something, we looked a little bit jaded and…I recognise that we need to play better with the ball.
“But in saying that, we came under some big pressure in the early parts of the second half and weathered a storm really, so that’s probably something we’ve not done throughout the season, so I was very pleased with that.
“A clean sheet and we had a couple of big, big chances in the second half. Overall I’m very pleased. Of course I wanted to win the game but I think it was an even game.
“We’re taking small steps forward and they are positive ones and we need to maintain that.”
Graham Potter’s side had suffered successive defeats and managed just one win in their last 10 games before the trip to London.
With a game against rock-bottom Sheffield United also coming up, the clash with Fulham was an opportunity for Brighton to put space between themselves and the relegation zone, although Potter insisted he was not disappointed by the result.
“I don’t think I’m disappointed. I’m pleased with the performance and the players and what they gave on the pitch. It was important for us to be stable and keep a clean sheet, if we could, after the game against Leicester,” the Seagulls boss said.
“There was enough personality on the pitch, there was enough effort, there was enough quality at times, especially in the second half. I thought we played well in the second half and pushed a team in a good moment back.
“Of course we needed our goalkeeper as well and Rob (Sanchez) made a couple of good saves, so in the end it’s a hard-fought point and we accept it and move forward to the weekend.”
