Nottingham Forest were denied a long-awaited victory under Vitor Pereira as Dan Ndoye's second-half strike was ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee, leaving the hosts to settle for a goalless draw against Fulham at the City Ground.
The decision extended Pereira's agonising wait for his first Premier League win since taking over, with Forest now having taken just four points from 14 matches. The point lifted them out of the relegation zone on goal difference, but the margin is slender.
Both sides entered the match in low spirits after recent defeats, and the first half reflected that, with few clear-cut chances. Elliot Anderson was lively for Forest but dragged a shot wide, while Fulham's Calvin Bassey forced a save from Matz Sels. The home side's best move came just before the break, but Nicolas Dominguez's effort lacked power to beat Bernd Leno.
Pereira altered his approach at half-time, moving Morgan Gibbs-White central and introducing Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson. The change nearly paid off instantly when Ndoye was fouled by Bassey, only for the offside flag to spare Fulham. Ola Aina hit the crossbar before Ndoye finally found the net, only for VAR to spot the barest of offsides on his heel.
Fulham almost made Forest pay when Rodrigo Muniz chested and volleyed, but Aina blocked on the line. Taiwo Awoniyi came closest for Forest late on, but the equaliser proved elusive. 'What I retain in my mind about this game is the effort,' said Pereira, while Fulham boss Marco Silva was pleased with a clean sheet.
Forest's lack of a cutting edge remains a concern; only Wolves have scored fewer league goals. With a Europa League trip to Midtjylland looming, Pereira must find a way to convert chances into points.
