Runaway leaders Fulham lost for only the second time in the First Division this season as struggling Stockport County ended the Cottagers' unbeaten away league record.

The visitors were undone by goals from Finland ace Jarkko Wiss and defender Peter Clark who helped cause a major upset as County gave their bid to stave off relegation an enormous boost.

Yet Stockport, now with only two defeats in their last 10 matches, could have been dead and buried inside the opening 15 minutes as Fulham striker Louis Saha should have had a hat-trick to add to his 21 goals for the season.

But a combination of fine goalkeeping from Carlo Nash and poor finishing ensured that the Stockport goal remained intact.

It seemed only a matter of time before Fulham broke the deadlock as they looked dangerous every time they attacked, but then six minutes before the break, Stockport snatched the lead completely against the run of play.

Aaron Wilbraham was fouled by Andy Melville 25 yards from goal. Mike Flynn squared the ball to Wiss and the flying Finn drove home an unstoppable shot low to the right of keeper Maik Taylor.

County grew in confidence and after previously never threatening could have scored two more before the break with Wilbraham and Robert Matthews both going close.

Fulham were stunned again two minutes after the restart when the home side doubled their lead through a wonderful solo effort from Clark.

The left-back picked up a loose ball in midfield and set off for goal, evading a number of challenges before surprisingly finding himself in the Fulham penalty area where he poked the ball past Taylor.

Fulham threw on substitutes Andrejs Stolcers and Nicholas Sahnoun in a last-ditch bid to save the game.

Latvian international Stolcers - a recent £2million signing from Spartak Moscow - was desperately unlucky, twice striking the woodwork, while Sahnoun watched in disbelief as his in-swinging corner was headed off the line.

Teams:

Stockport Nash, Slymm, Clark, Gibb, Clare, Woodthorpe, Wiss, Smith, Cooper, Matthews (Fradin 70), Wilbraham.

Subs Not Used: Dibble, Maxwell, Bryngelsson, Brebner.

Booked: Matthews, Gibb.

Goals: Wiss 40, Clark 47.

Fulham Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Coleman, Goldbaek, Clark, Davis (Stolcers 56), Fernandes (Sahnoun 55), Hayles (Boa Morte 43), Saha.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Symons.

Booked: Sahnoun, Boa Morte, Brevett.

Att: 6,100

Ref: A Butler (Sutton-in-Ashfield).