Fulham were left to rue a host of missed chances as a late Roman Saiss goal gave Wolves a share of the spoils after substitute Ryan Sessegnon had put Fulham in front at Craven Cottage.

“I’m a little disappointed,” said a rueful Claudio Ranierri. “I think we deserved more in the first half.”

After a slow start Fulham dominated the first half, with Serbian striker Mitrovic at the heart of the action. He had seven attempts on goal before the break. His best chance came in the 40^th minute when a couple of dummies took him past two centre backs, only for the onrushing goalkeeper Rui Patricio to close down the angle.

“When a team is bottom, everything goes against the team,” added Ranieri, who has given Fulham a new formation with five at the back, and an emphasis on closing space around the pitch.

It was an approach that surprised Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo: “I thought in the first half we didn’t perform. We were surprised Fulham were so compact and in the first half I don’t think I selected a side that was best for this type of game.”

At half-time Santo made a tactical switch, brining on Ivan Cavaleiro for Adam Traore. Wolves made more use of the wings finding space on the pitch. “The second half we were much better,” added Santo. “When Fulham scored I thought it was unfair, as at that point we were much better.”

Sessegnon had only been on for 10 minutes when he scored with Fulham’s first shot of the second half. From a set-piece, the English 18-year-old was first to react to Patricio punching the ball and scuffed the ball across the line, referree Andre Marriner getting the signal on his watch that it was a goal.

Losing the lead spurred on Wolves. They increased the pressure and found an equaliser in the 85^th minute when Saiss made the most of Fulham’s failure to clear a Cavaleiro cross and smash the ball home from two yards.

Both sides had opportunities to win the game with Mitrovic coming closest when a route-one ball saw him bustle past two defenders and his shot was rolling towards the net when Conor Coady managed to slide and clear the ball off the line.

The point saw Fulham move off the bottom, above Huddersfield who they play on Saturday, which looks like being the first relegation six-pointer half way through the season. Ranieri goes into the game with good spirits. “I think that Fulham have improved a lot in the last few weeks and I think I have found a solution for this team to have five at the back. Today in football, you have to keep fighting and I think we can make something good this season.”