Friday 20 March 2015 14:51, UK
Kit Symons admits Fulham need three more wins to be certain of avoiding relegation following their 3-0 Sky Bet Championship defeat by Leeds.
Goals from Sam Byram, Sol Bamba and Mirco Antenucci left the Cottagers hovering precariously just one place above the Sky Bet Championship drop zone.
But they still have a six-point cushion over third-bottom Wigan and boss Symons insisted: "It's very much in our hands.
"We need three more wins and it's down to us to get them - we probably had enough chances to win three games tonight."
In a bizarre game at Craven Cottage, Fulham wasted a host of opportunities while Leeds scored with their only three genuine chances.
Former Elland Road strike duo Ross McCormack and Matt Smith were the chief culprits, fluffing their lines in front of goal in a one-sided first half which Fulham somehow ended behind thanks to Byram's 40th-minute header.
McCormack was denied first by a fine save from Marco Silvestri and then an offside flag after burying a volley, and Smith twice headed presentable chances off target.
Three minutes after the interval Bamba's header made it 2-0 and Fulham's evening took a turn for the even worse moments later when Konstantinos Stafylidis managed to get himself sent off for two bookings in the space of a minute.
Having just been yellow-carded for dissent, the Greek defender promptly scythed down Byram to see red and Fulham's misery was complete in the 88th minute when substitute Antenucci scuffed in Leeds' third.
"We created numerous chances, we didn't take them and when that happens often there is the sucker punch," added Symons.
"Even in the second half, down to 10 men, we created really good chances but we didn't take them and goals change games.
"The sending-off didn't help. It was rash, a silly, petulant thing to do.
"Ross played well but there is always that element against your old team that you can try too hard and maybe that was the case."
While Fulham are peering nervously over their shoulders, upwardly mobile Leeds suddenly find themselves in the top half.
Head coach Neil Redfearn said: "In the first half Fulham were the better side and we were having to dig deep to stay with them.
"They got a rollicking at half-time. But we worked hard, toughed it out and although we got the goal against the run of play I thought we got on top of it.
"Our keeper made two or three outstanding saves at 0-0 which kept us in the game and I think it could have been four or five in the end."
