Roy Hodgson's miserable start as Fulham boss continued after League One outfit Bristol Rovers beat them 5-3 on penalties in an FA Cup 3rd round replay.
Despite the defeat taking Fulham's run of games without a win to 13, Hodgson said that he had taken "enormous comfort" from the return to the pitch of Jimmy Bullard after a long-term injury.
Bullard had his spot-kick saved by Rovers goalkeeper Steve Phillips to allow substitute Craig Disley to seal a memorable victory for Paul Trollope's side, who now travel to Barnet in the fourth round on Saturday.
But Hodgson did not blame Bullard, especially as the former Wigan man was making his first start since suffering a serious knee injury in September 2006.
Hodgson said: "Jimmy Bullard's performance was an enormous comfort. To play as well as he did after 14 months out in such a difficult game was a big comfort and the determination and aggression we showed to match Bristol Rovers was also a positive.
"I was surprised Jimmy lasted so long. We had Steve Davis on the bench and foremost in my mind was that at some stage in the game I would have to take Jimmy off but he was doing so well poor Steve never got a chance to come on.
"And I don't put his penalty miss down to tiredness - it was a good save. Their penalties were outstandingly good too. We only missed the one but never got a chance to get back in."
Hodgson has been busy in the transfer market with former Liverpool forward Jari Litmanen, now 36, arriving on trial, midfielder Leon Andreasen having signed from Werder Bremen and Rangers striker Daniel Cousin poised to join them for 3million pounds after a bid was rejected by Groningen for ex-Manchester United forward Erik Nevland.
Disley's moment of glory had only been made possible by an early injury to centre-back Steve Elliott, who was carried off on a stretcher after denying Clint Dempsey with a last-gasp tackle.
He said: "We hadn't been practising during the week. We never really thought it might go to penalties. But we won our last penalty shootout and showed confidence to win this one."
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