Clint Dempsey rescued Fulham with a 78th-minute equaliser after Wigan had threatened to push them deeper into trouble at the foot of the Barclays Premier League table.

Marcus Bent looked to have decided the outcome in Wigan's favour with a 69th-minute volley but Dempsey earned managerless Fulham a vital point with a low drive.

The draw ensured that Wigan remained second from bottom but enabled Fulham to climb out of the bottom three.

Fulham, who sacked boss Lawrie Sanchez yesterday, took the early initiative with a header from defender Carlos Bocanegra cleared off the line by Denny Landzaat in the sixth minute.

Three minutes later a superb low cross from Hameur Bouazza was almost turned home by Dempsey as the home side continued to impress during the early skirmishes.

In the 11th minute, former Fulham player Michael Brown sent a shot high into the crowd from the edge of the penalty area but it was a rare excursion into the home defence.

Brown tried his luck again in the 20th minute but the midfielder's accuracy was again found wanting and his effort flashed well wide of Antti Niemi's right-hand upright.

But Wigan were beginning to improve and won their first corner in the 21st minute and although the Fulham dealt with it, a low cross from Ryan Taylor caused panic in the home defence seconds later.

But normal service was resumed by Fulham a minute later when Simon Davies brought a fine save from Chris Kirkland with a stinging right-foot drive.

In the 24th minute Diomansy Kamara almost gave Fulham the lead when he got to a free-kick from Davies before Kirkland.

But the Fulham striker just failed to guide his effort inside the post to the relief of the Wigan goalkeeper.

Fulham continued to dominate the game and Konchesky was unlucky not to put them in front in the 27th minute.

The left-back was allowed to advance unchallenged from the half-way line and opted to try his luck from fully 40 yards.

His swerving shot beat Kirkland in the Wigan goal but the woodwork saved the visitors when Konchesky's effort rebounded off the crossbar.

Fulham's work rate was impressive but the cutting edge lacked the finish much of their approach work deserved.

Ray Lewington's side were rarely troubled in defence but their encouraging display was marred by the lack of an opening goal.

Wigan had little firepower in attack with Bent largely anonymous and they failed to trouble Niemi in the the Fulham goal. Brown's two long-range efforts were all they had to show for their endeavours.

Fulham squandered the first chance of the second half when Dempsey burst clear of the Wigan defence only to drill his right-foot shot wide of the target.

Wigan were content to stifle the life out of the game and as a result the home side found it difficult to create any clear-cut openings after Dempsey's miss.

Latics defender Titus Bramble went close with a header in the 64th minute but it was the best effort either side could muster in a largely forgettable second half.

The visitors were beginning to enjoy a long spell of possession and even though Fulham had introduced David Healy into the action, their was little to suggest they had the capability to break the deadlock.

Indeed it was no surprise when Wigan scored the opening goal of the game in the 69th minute.

A corner on the left was only partially cleared by the Fulham rearguard and when Brown sent the ball back into the penalty area, the defence panicked.

Bramble rose the highest to knock the ball down for the advancing Bent and the Wigan striker sent his volley into the roof of the net as Niemi looked to close him down.

But Fulham equalised in the 78th minute when Wigan's defence failed to clear a Chris Baird cross and when the ball rebounded to Dempsey, the American striker made no mistake from 12 yards.

Both sides worked hard to find a winner but had to settle for a point apiece.

Teams:

Fulham Niemi, Omozusi (Baird 60), Bocanegra, Hughes, Konchesky, Bouazza (Kuqi 72), Davis (Healy 59), Murphy, Davies, Kamara, Dempsey.

Subs Not Used: Warner, Ki-Hyeon.

Goals: Dempsey 78.

Wigan Kirkland, Boyce, Scharner, Bramble, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Landzaat, Taylor (Olembe 86), Aghahowa (Sibierski 63), Bent.

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Granqvist, Skoko.

Goals: Bent 70.

Att: 20,820

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).