It all goes down to chance now for Fulham.
They let the golden goose of automatic promotion to the Premier League slip through their fingers today.
And now they have to face the wildcard Russian roulette of the Championship play-offs.
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But they only have themselves to blame.
At the beginning of the day Fulham had to better Cardiff’s result at home to strugglers Reading.
Admittedly the odds were against the Cottagers but as the afternoon progressed it was all within their grasp as Cardiff failed to get the better of the Royals.
Except Fulham were somehow losing 2-0 at Birmingham from two first-half goals.
The Bluebirds on the other hand failed to deliver against Paul Clement’s side as they were held at home to a 0-0 draw.
However, with Fulham bottling it against the Blues that was enough to secure Cardiff’s automatic promotion to the Premier League.
And make Neil Warnock the only manager in the history of the game to achieve eight senior promotions.
But it will be bitter for Fulham who know that a win would have seen them go up today.
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Fulham fans will have known their hopes of going up automatically were essentially in tatters when Lukas Jutkiewicz scored after 15 minutes.
With Cardiff still at 0-0, Fulham knew two goals would put them in the driving seat and with an unbeaten run stretching back to December – the longest in all four leagues – there will still have been hope among the players.
Then came the hammer blow from Birmingham’s Harlee Dean just before half time.
The Blues’ second goal ended any real chances of Fulham clinching promotion today as it meant they would need three goals and for Cardiff to draw or lose.
To rub salt further into the wound, Birmingham only signed Dean from arch rivals Brentford last summer.
Fulham got one back to give the fans the faintest glimmer of hope but Che Adams bagged Birmingham’s third to slam the door shut.
Slavisa Jokanovic has done wonders at Craven Cottage this season but he will be angered that his side couldn’t convert the biggest prize in football when it was handed to them by the fact Cardiff could only manage a draw.
Yet however bad he is feeling, it will be nothing compared to everyone associated with Barnsley and Burton Albion who couldn’t get the results they needed.
Birmingham’s win ensured their Championship status for another season along with Reading and Bolton.
Fulham will now play Derby in their play-off semi-final after the Rams walloped Barnsley 4-1 today while Aston Villa will play Middlesbrough to see who makes it to the final at Wembley.
Bring on the play-offs.