Manchester City failed to give absent manager Kevin Keegan a much-needed tonic as he recovers from back surgery.
Keegan's inconsistent and unpredictable side were held at home by Fulham as they squandered another chance to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three.
It is City's wretched form at their new home at Eastlands, where they have won only three of their 15 Premiership matches, which is responsible for their lowly league standing.
The biggest talking points of a disappointing match came with two penalty appeals that were waved aside in the final quarter of the match.
City felt they ought to have been awarded a spot-kick when substitute Jon Macken went sprawling following a challenge by defender Alain Goma.
Fulham felt similarly aggrieved when Luis Boa Morte broke away only to be upended by City captain Sylvain Distin.
Fulham manager Chris Coleman felt both incidents reinforced the growing calls for video referees.
Coleman said: "Referees have a split second to make a decision. While you have to get on and accept such things, now is perhaps the time to have video play-backs.
"It would be easier if there was another referee in the stand, especially with so much at stake in the Premier League.
"Referees need help and videos would take 60 seconds to sort out and it would help them. So why don't we go down that road?" City's assistant manager Arthur Cox did not agree, saying: "I have watched the incidents and I can see both sides of the argument.
"But I am old fashioned and once a decision has been made you have to accept it and get on with it, however important it may be." Cox blamed City's failure to win on a lack of quality in the final third of the pitch. But he added that at the end of the season it could well be viewed as a good point.
The absence of Daniel Van Buyten meant City switched to a flat back four with Sun Jihai recalled at right-back while fit again Claudio Reyna was preferred in midfield to Joey Barton, the two changes from Monday's defeat at Leeds.
Fulham had two injury-enforced switches with Sylvain Legwinski and Ian Pearce ruled out as Martin Djetou and Goma won recalls to the starting line up.
City made a tentative start and it was easy to see why they have toiled in their first season away from Maine Road.
They carved out their first chance of the afternoon in the 12th minute when Robbie Fowler's near post header from Antoine Sibierski's cross was well saved by Edwin Van der Sar diving low to his left.
And there was a half-chance moments later when Sibierski found himself free infront of goal, but hesitated believing he was offside when, in fact, he wasn't.
City eventually began to take a stranglehold on possession as they put the Fulham defence under the cosh, without creating any clear-cut chances.
Sibierski forced Van der Sar into another diving save, but the Frenchman had strayed offside as he met Michael Tarnat's free-kick.
There was a distinct lack of goalmouth action in a dreadful opening period in which the mis-placed pass occurred all too frequently from both sides.
And despite their territorial advantage, City rarely troubled the well-organised Fulham defence, which put up a highly effective shield in front of their Dutch goalkeeper.
City came close to snatching the lead soon after the re-start when Nicolas Anelka, stealing in at the far post, failed by inches to connect with a cross from Shaun Wright-Phillips when he looked certain to score.
Sibierski rose above the Fulham defence to meet Jihai's cross from the right but headed well wide.
Fulham almost snatched the lead on the hour after Boa Morte's pass put Sean Davis through on goal only for City keeper David James to make an excellent stop low to his right.
And moments later, Mark Pembridge went close again for Fulham curling a free-kick round the wall but about a yard wide of the upright.
City made a double substitution midway through the half hauling off strikers Anelka and Fowler and replacing them with Paulo Wanchope and Macken in an effort to inject more life into their attack.
And Macken's introduction almost brought about an immediate dividend, as within two minutes of his arrival he went tumbling to the ground following a challenge by Goma only for Winter to wave play on.
Cox's last throw of the dice was to throw on Trevor Sinclair for Sibierski.
Fulham felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute when Boa Morte looked to have been upended by Distin, but again Winter did not point to the spot.
City stepped up the tempo and with time running out they nearly conjured an 86th minute winner when Wanchope's angled drive took a deflection, but was superbly kept out by Van der Sar's reflex save.
Fulham might even have snatched a last minute winner when James did well to keep out Davis' drive diving low to his right.
Then in the third minute of stoppage time City so nearly stole a winner when Macken flashed a near post header narrowly wide from Jihai's cross.
Man of the Match – Zat Knight Zat Knight lived up to Chris Coleman's forecast that he can become one of the country's top centre-backs.