Chris Baird’s late goal earned Fulham victory at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon against a determined Aston Villa outfit.

Martin Jol named an attacking side for the game, with returning strikers Mladen Petric and Dimitar Berbatov joined in the starting XI by Hugo Rodallega. Kieran Richardson was also restored to the Team after making a scoring return against Southampton almost a fortnight ago.

Villa kicked proceedings off and were content to knock the ball around at the back. Fulham weren’t standing for that, though, and broke after robbing the ball on three minutes. Berbatov turned in the box and drew a good save from Brad Guzan, before Richardson also went close with the follow-up.

Good play by Gabriel Agbonlahor on seven minutes saw the striker weave away from Steve Sidwell but the subsequent shot was the proverbial mile wide of the goal.

The Whites came close to opening the scoring five minutes later when Captain Brede Hangeland burst forward before laying into the path of Berbatov who chipped a delightful ball towards the six-yard box. Petric rose highest but his effort was just high of the far post.

The Croatian was the next man to try his luck too as he got on the end of a fine curling delivery by John Arne Riise – but this time the header was straight at Guzan.

Agbonlahor – who has a good scoring record against the Whites – was looking lively for the visitors and he tested Mark Schwarzer with another effort from range on 18 minutes, before Richardson won a corner at the other end when his shot was deflected wide.

Riise’s deliveries were a constant source of anguish for the Villa backline as Rodallega was the next to get on the end of one of the Norwegian’s crosses - unfortunately he glanced his header well wide. Hangeland – fresh from scoring two goals for his country over the international break – made a decent connection from his compatriot Riise’s corner on 29 minutes but couldn’t quite direct his header on target.

Fulham were finishing the half the stronger but were still struggling to really test Guzan, as Sidwell saw another header miss the target on 42 minutes.

The home side flew out of the blocks in the second half and Rodallega was presented with a glorious chance within 60 seconds. Riise’s cross skimmed a defender’s head but the Colombian volleyed into the ground at the far post when he had more time. A marauding run by Riise five minutes later saw the left-back dribble past three men in claret shirts but nobody could get on the end of his dangerous cross.

All the best chances seemed to be coming from crosses and Agbonlahor should have perhaps done better with his header when Brett Holman found him at the far post.

Fulham somehow failed to take the lead just after the hour mark when Richardson found space in the penalty area with the ball on his left foot. The winger took a fraction too long to pick his spot though and his shot was well blocked.

Jol made his first change of the game on 64 minutes when Mahamadou Diarra replaced Petric. It was a welcome appearance for the Mali international as he returned from injury ahead of schedule. And there was another substitution for the Whites when Ashkan Dejagah came on for his Fulham debut on 71 minutes. The Iran international replaced Richardson.

The match had developed into a scrappy encounter with both sides struggling to find a rhythm – with Rodallega’s blocked shot on 75 minutes the closest either side had come to a goal for a fair while. Dejagah added a new dimension to Fulham’s attacking play and drew a good save from Guzan on 84 when he made a sweet connection with Sascha Riether’s pull-back.

From the resulting corner the Whites found the goal they had been searching for when Baird stole in at the near post to poke home. It was another fine delivery from Riise into the near post which led to the goal and the subsequent cries of 'we’ve got Bairdinho' from the Cottage faithful.

Four minutes of stoppage time were announced and Fulham hearts were in mouths moments later when Holman’s vicious strike deflected wide for a corner which came to nothing as the Whites held on for a valuable three points.