“THIS year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to Patrick Bamford,” sang the merry Leeds faithful, after he ploughed in Eddie Nketiah’s cross to go level in London after 54 minutes.

But a Whites Christmas is hard to come by these days — astonishing comebacks last year patching the cracks before ending a seven-game winning-run against Hull in late December. 

And Leeds fans, driving home for Christmas on Saturday, may have that sinking feeling as they mulled the end of an 11-game unbeaten stretch.

Still second in the table, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa was insistent — if defensive — when asked if the festive period is anything to do with negative results.

“I don’t link the performance with the date, the part of the season. When you play a lot of matches in a row, like now, you have to see if the physical performance decreases. And last season the physical performance never decreased.

“The date, the part of the year — there are more evident reasons.”

Fulham boss Scott Parker hinted at the danger of relying on physical performance during the packed festive calendar, but targeted “very scripted” play as what might catch up with Bielsa’s squads around this time of year.

“Leeds are the most athletic, powerful team that we see. But they’re the most structural and patterned team as well. And the movements Leeds make are very scripted. 

“We studied Leeds for many a game, so we can see the movements they made. And all week we drilled the movements and we drilled the team to understand what was coming.”

Benefiting from an early penalty by Aleksandar Mitrovic — won softly as Bobby Reid crumpled under the spectre of a Ben White challenge — a particularly passionate Craven Cottage crowd lifted Fulham past Leeds as Josh Onomah tucked away his decisive 69th-minute strike.

Fulham fans have had to literally acclimatise to the lack of an entire pitch-length stand this season — the empty Riverside now holding a TV gantry, benches and forest of scaffolding for the ball to get lost in — as the wind blows in off the river.

In the lopsided ground, first-half pantomime villain Luke Ayling felt the wrath of the Johnny Haynes stand for 45 minutes before switching to do his work along the empty stand in relative peace and quiet. 

Nketiah’s killer cross was delivered from that empty side, while the away support in that side of the Putney End made their impact with minor interference.

But the rammed remainder of Craven Cottage packs a punch and Ayling — later subbed off — then Ezgjan Alioski and at times the referee seemed powerless to shrug off their influence.

“I thought the fans were superb,” Parker said. “When the goal went in at 1-1, this stadium sometimes has been a little bit edgy and the players, I think, have got off that. 

“But the stadium today was electric, they deserve part of this result as well — a massive part.”