And Christie knows that is where they have to improve as they prepare for home clashes with Wolves and Huddersfield.

Christie said: "They are two big games. We are getting better as the games go by. We're defending well, but we just need to score a few more goals now and keep the clean sheets and I'm sure we'll be fine."

Fulham left the north east with plenty of positives after manager Claudio Ranieri opted for the first time to field a three-man defence, but wondering what might have been.

Christie said: "It was a hard-fought draw. We had chances at the end there, but when your luck is out, that's what happens.

"We defended well, it's a clean sheet and it's a point on the board. If we had won, the table would look a bit better, but we have got two home games coming up now and we need to make the most of them."

The draw took the club's points tally into double figures – they now have 10 from their 18 games – but they remain at the foot of the table, if only by virtue of goal difference behind Huddersfield and Burnley, who are two points better off.

In the circumstances, the Terriers' visit to Craven Cottage on Saturday could prove hugely significant, although it is Wolves, who lost 2-0 at home to leaders Liverpool on Friday evening, who are the initial focus on Boxing Day.

Fulham have won only once in their last 15 league games and a change in fortunes against one of the sides with which they came up from the Sky Bet Championship at the end of last season would provide a major boost.

However, Ranieri said: "[Manager Nuno] Espirito Santo is doing a very good job – I watched the match against Liverpool and Wolverhampton played fantastically.

"They created two or three great chances in the first half and Liverpool at the end won the match. It will be another tough match for us."

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