Only Scott Parker, Moussa Dembélé, and Chris David, the lack of experience showed Fulham conceded a corner after just 17 seconds as Ipswich created the early chances.

Although Fulham were enjoying the majority of possession, Ipswich continued to create chances, and it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Luke Hyam's incisive through ball released Daryl Murphy, who outpaced Shaun Hutchinson before making no mistake with a powerful finish.

Ipswich doubled their advantage on 62 minutes: Murphy was again too strong for Hutchinson on the left wing and, while his low cross was half cleared, it fell perfectly for David McGoldrick.

McGoldrick called Jesse Joronen into action from the corner of the penalty area after yet more tenacious play by Jay Tabb, before Fulham pulled a goal back out of nothing: Tim Hoogland cut inside Tyrone Mings and his weak shot took a wicked deflection off the body of Tommy Smith to take it past Gerken's near post.

The energetic young home side often had Millwall at full stretch as they played short passes at speed but defenders produced a series of blocks to deny the hosts.

Magath pleaded before the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers for the fans to be patient with his young team – he made five changes to the side beaten by Millwall and started with six players aged 21 or younger.

But with Ross McCormack again isolated up front - the £11,000,000 striker resorted to coming back and collecting the ball from his centre-halves during the second half - Fulham rarely threatened an equaliser.

Instead it was Wolves who always looked like adding to their tally, with Matt Doherty and Batth both missing the target with close-range headers before Sako blew their best chance in stoppage time, hitting the post with a penalty after Cameron Burgess tripped Nouha Dicko.

Crucially, Fulham made only one change from the much-maligned team that had lost against Wolverhampton: Derby had a chance in the third minute when Cyrus Christie found Johnny Russell just inside the area, but the Scot volleyed over.

Fulham's defence was exposed again in the 61st minute when Chris Martin was allowed to turn just inside the right side of the area and the striker arrowed a low shot across the keeper for his first Championship goal of the season.

McCormack hit a post direct from a corner five minutes later and Emerson Hyndman powered wide as the hosts upped the ante, with the impressive Chris David twice wasting free-kicks from decent positions.

The hosts were made to rue a series of missed chances in the 55th minute when Kenwyne Jones shrugged off his man to win a header and collected the return ball from Mats Daelhi to slot home.

Gábor Király, on his Fulham debut, was in action multiple times, but the pressure inevitably told, with a second goal arriving in the 54th minute when Murray nodded in a precise corner from Obita from close range.

In a bid to arrest his side's slump, Magath made five changes to his Fulham starting XI, with Kostas Stafylidis, Shaun Hutchinson, Mark Fotheringham and Hugo Rodallega all returning, while Fernando Amorebieta was handed his first outing of the campaign.

Antonio's brilliant run into the visitors' area was crudely halted by Hutchinson, who was duly booked – as was Dan Burn, who manhandled referee Darren Deadman – and Assombalonga fired his kick into the bottom corner.

Bodurov fired over when unmarked in the Forest box as Fulham came out with renewed vigour, and their early energy was rewarded when Amorebieta's cross was smartly diverted home by Rodallega.

But Forest awoke from their slumber to restore parity after 77 minutes as Antonio latched on to a brilliant pass from skipper Michael Mancienne to crack home a shot into the corner.

Symons made three changes – including Bryan Ruiz's first Fulham appearance since December 2013 – for a match attended by former captain Brede Hangeland, as well with former fan favourite Steve Sidwell, but as half-time approached, Hutchinson launched into an ill-advised, over-zealous challenge on Lee Williamson, leaving the midfielder in a heap.

The sending off gave Rovers the upper hand and Rudy Gestede's attempt to find an opener at the start of the second half had to be well saved by the returning Marcus Bettinelli.

Ruiz and Rodallega saw penalty appeals waved away soon after, before Blackburn came close in quick succession as Dan Burn blocked a Rhodes effort after rounding Bettinelli before a Gestede header deflected just wide.

But it was Birmingham who then took command and David Cotterill, who had created numerous goal opportunities throughout the season, found himself in a goalscoring position when he latched onto a pass from Mark Duffy only to screw his effort wide with only goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli to beat.

Fulham's problem was highlighted in the 19th minute when the industrious McCormack produced an accurate cross from the right only for Rodallega to fail to make a clean contact just yards away from the Birmingham goal.