Hard work, face up, front up and don’t hide was Scott Parker’s pre-match rallying cry to his players about what their current situation requires. On this evidence the message was heard loud and clear.
On a night when only victory would do for the two favourites for Premier League relegation it was only Parker’s Fulham who rose to the occasion, producing both the performance and result the situation demanded.
Admittedly, they could hardly have asked for more accommodating, underwhelming opponents in their time of need.
With both teams searching for optimism after winless starts, the shortage of any was ominous for Slaven Bilic.