Kampfakta Fulham – Birmingham 21. februar 1

Fabio Capello left Craven Cottage before the end of this match but he may still have been near enough to catch the cries of “Bobby for England”. He may even have joined in because even before ­firing a spectacular last-minute winner for Fulham Bobby Zamora had turned in another exemplary demonstration of the target-man role. Only a few months after fans were questioning his worthiness of a place in the Fulham team Zamora has emerged as a contender for the position in the ­England squad that has hitherto been occupied by Emile Heskey or Peter Crouch.

“If [Capello] is looking for that type of forward, then Bobby Zamora is as good as anyone I’ve seen,” said Birmingham’s manager, Alex McLeish, after watching the 29-year-old torment his team all afternoon. “He was the difference between the two teams.”

For much of the match it seemed as if the side from the second city were going to get their first win in the capital this season, having lots on their previous four trips. Fulham had begun sluggishly, perhaps still dozing after their mid-week exertions in the Europa League, and their right-back Chris Baird soon suffered a nightmare, heading Lee Bowyer’s cross into his own goal to put Birmingham in front after three minutes.

Conceding for the first time in more than five hours of Premier League action woke Fulham up. Baird, in search of ­salvation, almost created an equaliser in the 10th minute when he chipped a pass to Simon Davies but Joe Hart, another who was intent on impressing Capello, saved well. Damien Duff then sent a long-range shot just wide and Brede Hangeland headed over from a corner.

by Guardian Chalkboards The signing of Damien Duff from Newcastle is yet more evidence of Roy Hodgson’s understated genius, Fulham’s gamble on the Irishman paying off as he regains his best form. Against Birmingham he was effective on the right, featuring regularly in their half, providing a number of crosses and scoring Fulham’s equaliser. Compare that with this game for Newcastle against Everton last year. Duff lacked incisiveness and confidence, crossing rarely, and was hauled off at half-time.Birmingham are experts at defending a lead – before this game only Manchester United had dropped fewer points than them from winning positions this season – and they worked tirelessly to deny Fulham space. Duff was looking dangerous down the right and Roger Johnson and Scott Dann were straining to control Zamora but in general the visitors coped well in the first period and Hart was not given further opportunity to endear himself to Capello.

In the second half Fulham cranked up the pressure and their equaliser, in the 59th minute, was as deserved as it was spectacular. Duff cut inside from the right and swapped passes with Zoltan Gera before firing a ferocious shot past Hart from the edge of the area.

Fulham seemed in the ascendancy but Birmingham briefly re-emerged as an attacking unit. Mark Schwarzer saved from James McFadden in the 65th minute but dived in vain four minutes later only to see the same player’s drive bounce down off the crossbar and on to the goalline.

Fulham, with Danny Murphy a growing influence in the middle, regained control after that but could not breach the valiant Birmingham defence. Not, that is, until Stephen Carr felled Gera on the edge of the box and Zamora completed his performance by curling a sweet ­free-kick past Hart. That was his 15th goal of the season, his highest tally in the top flight.

“He’s performing like a true target-playing centre-forward who brings his team-mates into the game and holds the ball up very well but of course, because he’s got lots of skill too, he’s also going to get a lot of goals,” said Roy Hodgson. “Last year people wanted to criticise him for not scoring enough but he was doing all the other things we wanted of him. This year’s he’s added the goals to his good play. I’m sure that at every ground Fabio Capello goes to fans sing the name of a player from their club. I’m also sure that he’ll have gone away from here thinking that Fulham have a very good player. Whether that means he wants him for England we’ll have to wait and see.”