Fulham Clamber Out of Relegation Zone

Fulham's great escape is still on. After the drama of their three-goal turnaround at Manchester City – at 4.20pm last Saturday and two goals down, they were as good as relegated – today they registered a more conventional win, a solid 2-0 victory over fellow relegation battlers Birmingham City.

The win, courtesy of second-half goals from Brian McBride and Erik Nevland, means Fulham leapfrog Birmingham and move out of the relegation places. They are replaced in the bottom three by Reading, who lost at home to Tottenham, a 16th-minute Robbie Keane goal more than enough to best a team who have now gone six matches without a goal.

Middlesbrough however ensured they will play Premier League football next season after a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth at the Riverside, their goals coming, one in each half, through Chris Riggott and Tuncay.

Already-relegated Derby suffered the 28th defeat of their abject season despite taking the lead at Blackburn Rovers through Kenny Miller. His 19th-minute goal looked to have given the Rams a half-time lead, but just before the whistle Roque Santa Cruz levelled – and two minutes after the break Jason Roberts added another. Santa Cruz was on hand again to make it 3-1 with 13 minutes to play.

At the other end of the table, Aston Villa look increasingly unlikely to steal the Uefa Cup place from fifth-placed Everton after going down 2-0 at home to Wigan. The result leaves them three points behind the Merseyside club with only one game to play; should Everton get a point at Arsenal tomorrow or at home against Newcastle next weekend, fifth place will be theirs.

Antonio Valencia was the hero for Wigan, scoring twice in the space of nine second-half minutes. It was yet another impressive performance from Steve Bruce's side, who have recently also held Chelsea and Arsenal to draws. That run of form which may disturb Alex Ferguson, whose Manchester United side - 4-1 conquerors of a dismal West Ham earlier in the day - may require a victory at Wigan next weekend to secure the title.