English FA Premiership: A robbery took place in west London yesterday but the police will not be getting involved.

This one took place in front of more than 16,000 people and the culprit's identity was obvious to them all. By heading in an injury-time corner, Papa Bouba Diop gave Fulham one of the season's least-deserved victories. The expressions on the faces of both sets of players said everything.

Whereas Fulham could smile with relief at a win which moved them nine points clear of the relegation places and considerably closer to safety, West Brom's anguish reflected the fact that they are in graver danger than ever of going down.

They remain bottom and, if this defeat was hard on them, in many ways they have only themselves to blame.

That is not just because the marking was poor when Diop met Mark Pembridge's corner unmarked. West Brom also lacked the ruthlessness at the other end that might have secured them a win.

Although Edwin van der Sar played well in Fulham's goal, making a few sharp saves in the first half, West Brom ought to have scored. Robert Earnshaw missed two good chances, the first in the opening minute, and had a couple of other openings.

Kevin Campbell also had sight of the target and was unlucky that a shot deflected just wide off him in the 87th minute.

By then the game had long seemed destined for a stalemate but, if either side deserved to win, it was West Brom. "I've just had Bryan Robson in my office and I don't know what to say to him," admitted Fulham's manager Chris Coleman. "They were unlucky."

West Brom were certainly sharper, hungrier and better in possession, Andy Johnson impressing before he departed with a knee-ligament problem.

Fulham generally threatened only when Luis Boa Morte got involved, his thrusts, crosses and efforts at goal offering rare hope in a nervy, pedestrian display. Van der Sar was their only other player to emerge with credit.

Fulham's passing was poor, no one up front could hold the ball up in the absence of Andrew Cole, and the defence looked vulnerable. The inexperienced centre-halves, Zat Knight and Zesh Rehman, were frequently exposed, especially in the first half, sometimes by the simplest passes. Fulham were unfortunate to lose Steed Malbranque to a twisted ankle early on but Coleman acknowledged his side's shortcomings. "They did keep going," he said, looking for positives.

West Brom had the bulk of chances before the interval, with Campbell using the ball well in bringing team-mates into play. Van der Sar's busiest spell included a useful stop from Earnshaw after Knight's ill-judged chest down.

Earnshaw had the clearest opening, going round Van der Sar but shooting wide. "We suffered for not taking our chances," said Robson. West Brom have now gone 15 league games without a win and it is hard to see a way back.