Fulham were forced to settle for a draw for the 10th time this season as they failed to break down Sunderland. In a game of few clear-cut chances, Andy Johnson came the closest to scoring when his close-range strike was well saved by Simon Mignolet. Dickson Etuhu's header was cleared off the line and Clint Dempsey had a shot blocked as the Cottagers pushed for a much-needed win in the second half. Sunderland's Kieran Richardson wasted a chance to grab an unlikely late winner. Fulham's display improved in the second half of a dour contest but the result will increase the pressure on manager Mark Hughes, who has picked up just two league wins all season. The draw leaves Fulham hovering above the relegation on goal difference, despite having lost only five of their 17 matches. Sunderland's previous trip to west London brought a famous 3-0 win at Chelsea but they failed to hit such heights at Craven Cottage, and were happy to hold on for a point at the end. The previous four league matches between these teams had delivered just two goals, and neither side looked like adding to that total in an uneventful first half. Fulham passed the ball crisply but had little cutting edge, as the Sunderland defence coped well with the early loss of Anton Ferdinand to a hamstring injury. Darren Bent had the visitors' best chances in the opening period, twice glancing headers wide from good positions. For Fulham, a spectacular 30-yard volley from Clint Dempsey, held by Mignolet, was as good as it got. Fulham showed more urgency after the break and Etuhu's header was cleared off the line by Phil Bardsley after Simon Mignolet had come off his line. The Cottagers had an even better chance when a corner fell at the feet of Johnson, who spun and fired goalwards from close range, only to see Mignolet make an excellent stop. Sunderland then broke with numbers but Asamoah Gyan wasted the chance to tee up Bent for an easy one-on-one. Fulham pressed with Dempsey at the heart of their best play, and the American was unlucky to see his goal-bound effort bravely blocked by Ahmed Elmohamady. Sunderland also had late chances to win it, with Boudewijn Zenden smacking a vicious long-range drive just past the post. Moments later, the Dutchman was knocked out cold when John Paintsil's clearance hit him in the face from close range, but he was soon back on his feet. The game's quality was summed up in added time when the ball fell perfectly to Richardson on the edge of the area, only for the midfielder to send a feeble effort into the arms of Mark Schwarzer. Source: BBC