Newcastle boss Alan Shearer found himself back deep in relegation trouble after Mark Viduka was controversially denied a precious equaliser.
Trailing 1-0 to Fulham as a result of Diomansy Kamara's 41st-minute strike, the Australian thought he had levelled five minutes after the break to give his side a lifeline.
However, referee Howard Webb harshly chalked off his effort for a foul by Kevin Nolan on keeper Mark Schwarzer to dump the Magpies, who played the last half-hour with 10 men after defender Sebastien Bassong had been sent off, back into the mire with just one game remaining in which to save themselves.
Newcastle, who had soon to be out of contract skipper Michael Owen missing with a groin injury in what might have been his final game for the club, went close 12 minutes from time, but Schwarzer pulled off a fine save to deny Obafemi Martins, who had earlier hit the post, and then kept out Nicky Butt's injury-time effort.
They now face a trip to Aston Villa next Sunday knowing even victory might not be enough if other results go against them and with their Premier League status hanging by a thread.
Tyneside was shrouded in dark clouds, both literally and figuratively, as the final whistle sounded and a crowd of 52,114 filed out not knowing whether they will return to watch top-flight football next season.
The euphoria of Monday night's 3-1 victory over derby rivals Middlesbrough, which dragged the club out of the bottom three, had quickly been put to one side with no-one in the Newcastle camp in any doubt the job was nowhere near done.
For much of the first half, Shearer's men looked the more likely to take the initiative, but when they left the pitch at the break, they were trailing and back in trouble.
It might have been so different had Martins' 15th-minute shot not come back off the post after he had played a neat one-two with Nolan, or had Viduka managed to hit the target when presented with a free header, albeit from distance, by Danny Guthrie's cross 10 minutes later.
However, Fulham, who arrived sitting in seventh place in the table and in with a real shout of securing a place in the Europa League, had not just come along for the ride, and served warning of their intent six minutes before the break.
Erik Nevland ran on to Kamara's clever back-heeled pass and curled a shot towards the far post, and keeper Steve Harper was delighted to see it drop inches wide as he flung himself across his line.
But the Magpies did not heed the warning, and they fell behind two minutes later in controversial circumstances.
Danny Murphy's pass found Nevland in acres of space on the right and with the home defence appealing in vain for an offside flag, he raced away before squaring for Kamara, who evaded Bassong and Steven Taylor on the line to fire into the roof of the net.
Former Magpie Aaron Hughes blocked a Jonas Gutierrez shot as Newcastle attempted to hit back immediately, but St James' was once again bathed in anxiety as the players left the pitch at half-time.
Shearer's players returned in determined mood and might have been back in it within two minutes when Martins volleyed a Guthrie cross towards goal, but could not hit the target.
However, they thought they had levelled with 50 minutes gone after Viduka twice got the better of his former Middlesbrough team-mate.
The striker saw his header from a Guthrie free-kick cleared off the line by Dickson Etuhu, but there was nothing anyone could do to keep out his header from the resulting corner with 50 minutes gone.
But the Australia international's joy turned to misery within seconds when Webb ruled Nolan had impeded Schwarzer on the line, although television replays suggested the decision was harsh with the keeper not even appealing.
Newcastle laid siege to the Fulham goal as they sensed the time had come, but they were wasteful in promising positions with Gutierrez particularly guilty.
However, disaster struck on the hour when central defender Bassong was sent off for hauling down Kamara 40 yards from goal, and the Frenchman could have few arguments.
Martins got in 12 minutes from time only to be denied by Schwarzer, and the keeper pulled off a superb injury-time to keep out Butt's effort.
Teams
Newcastle Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff,Guthrie (Ryan Taylor 62), Butt, Nolan,Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 76), Martins, Viduka (Carroll 80).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Coloccini, Smith, Ameobi.
Sent Off: Bassong (60).
Fulham Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky,Dempsey, Etuhu, Murphy, Gera, Nevland (Johnson 75), Kamara.
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Zamora, Dacourt, Gray, Kallio,
Baird.
Booked: Murphy, Nevland, Dempsey.
Goals: Kamara 41.
Att: 52,114
Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
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