Striker Raul Jimenez scored a first-half penalty as Fulham defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 in a dull Premier League clash at Craven Cottage on Monday to move 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Fulham climbed to 13th place on 23 points from 17 matches, while Forest stayed 17th with 18 points, five clear of the drop zone.

It was a game of few chances lacking in quality, and there were more yellow cards (8) than shots on target (3), but the decisive moment came in first-half added time.

Brazilian Douglas Luiz caught compatriot Kevin in the box with a naive lunge and Jimenez made no mistake with his penalty as he continued his 100% record in the Premier League with an 11th successful spot-kick.

"We knew it would be a tough game, but we did some good things on the pitch. We are very happy with these three points,” Jimenez told Sky Sports.

"I like to have the pressure of taking penalties. I have never missed and I am really happy with that. It comes from working hard and a lot of training.”

Fulham manager Marco Silva will be pleased with the win that has put his team close to the top half of the table, but there was little to enthuse over in the performance while Forest manager Sean Dyche watched his side limp through 90 minutes and create very little in attack.

Jimenez flashed a header wide in the first half, and at the other end Igor Jesus blasted over the crossbar from an excellent shooting opportunity.

Kevin should have got a shot away after breaking clear midway through the second half but a poor touch meant the opportunity was spurned.