MARCO SILVA enjoyed a late Tex Mex takeaway to ease the pressure on his job as Fulham boss.
Veteran striker Raul Jimenez only landed back in England on Thursday after playing for Mexico in Texas and scoring.
Silva would have rested his old stager but Jimenez was his only fit forward after Rodrigo Muniz underwent hamstring surgery.
And he defied tired limbs to finally break the deadlock and Sunderland’s bubble with six minutes to go of a dour match.
Ironically, Jimenez played against Paraguay in San Antonio’s Alamodome.
And it was like that for Sunderland who were battered from start to finish like those cowboys who held out against the odds for so long back in the day.
They looked as if they would leave Craven Cottage with a point and continue their mazy run in the Premier League following promotion last season but were beaten at the death.
This is only their third league defeat of the season. A remarkable achievement given they were the last of the promoted sides up after winning the Play Off Final.
Fulham had 24 shots at goal but with keeper Robin Roefs in acrobatic form and the defence holding firm under siege it appeared to be Sunderland’s day.
But with one final push for goal Jimenez found a way through with a smart piece of finishing and one least heave of his tired body to make the difference.
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Winger Samuel Chukwueze broke clear down the left flank. He swung in a tricky cross and Jimenez managed to stick his boot in front of Sunderland defender Dan Ballard and nudge the ball home from six yards out.
It ends a run of only one win in six Premier League games for Fulham amid uncertainty over manager Silva’s future.
The Portuguese has been offered a new 3 ½ year contract but is holding out on signing it to see if the club can match his ambitions for Fulham in the transfer market.
But with results slipping it has been feeling more and more uncertain whether he will be at Craven Cottage next season whether by choice or not.
Despite the patchy form this is actually a second home win in succession for Fulham and a rare reverse for Sunderland who should not be derailed by this slip up.
They have dropped out of the top four but are still punching well above their weight.
Frustration at the defeat spilled over into a minor scuffle involving coaches and players of both teams at the final whistle.
The debate for Fulham is how come it took so many chances to finally get the ball in the net. The answer to that question rests firmly at the feet of record signing Kevin.
The Brazilian winger has so far shown promise on the flanks with his trickery but even his patient manager Silva admits there must be more end product to the flashy runs and stepovers.
Two great chances to put Fulham ahead in the first half would have eased the pressure on himself, the team and the manager, yet he fluffed it both times.
On 23 minutes he burst free from the centre circle but was caught as he reversed lifted his foot to shoot and failed to muster the power needed to beat keeper Robin Roefs.
An even better opportunity presented itself just three minutes before half time when put clear by an instinctive lay off by Josh King, he was again swallowed up by the defensive run of Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka.
In addition to £34 million Kevin going close, Harry Wilson, sub Emile Smith Rowe, Joachim Andersen and a clutch of others were denied by poor finishing or the athleticism of Roefs before old gun slinger Jimenez saw them home.
