Even Fulham boss Jean Tigana must now believe his runaway First Division leaders have all but wrapped up the title after another away day success at Crystal Palace.
On-loan star Luis Boa Morte was Fulham's hero as he scored a deadly double to keep the Cottagers 14 points clear at the top of Division One.
And the win plunges Alan Smith's struggling Palace side deeper into the relegation mire, just two points above the drop zone.
But relegation threatened Palace started the better of the two sides and could have taken a shock lead after ten minutes when Finnish hitman Mikael Forssell blasted over the bar from just inside the penalty box.
Former Nottingham Forest striker Dougie Freedman also went close for the home side, before Fulham stepped up the tempo of the game.
Lee Clark's right-footed shot went wide while former Everton star John Collins missed a great chance when his 10-yard effort was saved by Latvian keeper Alex Kolinko.
But Collins' blushes were spared just minutes later when Bjarne Goldbaek's cross from the right was weakly cleared by Hayden Mullins into the path of Luis Boa Morte and from 15 yards out the on-loan striker squeezed the ball past Kolinko.
Palace recovered from the early setback and Simon Rodger almost conjured an equaliser when he fired a 20-yard rocket just wide.
Rodger was again involved minutes later in Palace's best opportunity when his inswinging corner was cleared off the line by Boa Morte.
But with five minutes of the first half remaining, Fulham should have doubled their lead when defender Rufus Brevett set up Boa Morte, but the Portuguese ace's 18-yard shot was straight at Kolinko.
Palace continued to press in the second half and their best effort came from Forssell, whose goalmouth shot was cleared off the line by Welsh defender Andy Melville.
But Jean Tigana's men finally put Palace out of their misery with 20 minutes remaining when ex-Arsenal ace Boa Morte ran onto a defence-splitting pass from Steve Finnan before slotting the ball home for his 20th goal of the season.
Palace never recovered, although Mullins fired a shot narrowly wide and Simon Rodger hit the post.
Crystal Palace:
Kolinko, Upson, Austin, Mullins, Rodger, Freedman (Morrison 76), Black, Forssell (Fuller 76), Frampton, Rubins, Hopkin.
Subs Not Used: Thomson, Carlisle, Berhalter.
Booked: Mullins.
Fulham:
Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Symons, Clark, John Collins (Neilson 87), Hayles (Saha 62), Goldbaek, Boa Morte, Davis.
Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Riedle, Stolcers.
Booked: Melville.
Goals: Boa Morte 15, 69.
Att: 21,133
Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).
Source sky