Fulham’s race is run and, even though they have seen fine margins go against them in recent weeks, there was no hard luck story to tell this time. In truth there was little of the devastation seen at the end of recent last-minute heartbreaks, either: once a superior Burnley had scored twice before half-time to make sure of their own Premier League status it was clear, from the stands and quite possibly on the pitch, that there was no way back and Scott Parker’s players knew they were going down long before David Coote’s whistle ended the ordeal.
In the end Fulham contrived the great escape bid that never quite was, seeming favoured for survival after winning at Anfield in March but amassing a single point from the subsequent seven games. They are tidy, bright and well structured but almost completely toothless too, ultimately offering little to stir the blood even though two or three of their squad should have a fair shot at playing top-level football somewhere next season. A draw here would have ensured they retained a faint pulse; victory might have left Burnley facing late-season flutters of their own, but neither outcome would have been deserved.
