Watching paint dry is a pretty bleak pursuit. Watching dried paint trying to rehydrate is worse still.

Watching West Bromwich Albion against Fulham on December 3, 2005 might be the worst pursuit of all.

Apparently the match was filmed for posterity and videos were being passed around afterwards.

The worst moment of a dreadful encounter came when the clock registered 90 minutes and the fourth official lifted up the sign to confirm that there would be five minutes of stoppage time.

There were groans and, when those five minutes were up, jeers as Albion failed to secure the deserved victory.

The good news for Albion is that the point is a step closer to Premiership safety. The bad news is that they revealed their inability to break down a Fulham team that played the whole of the second half with ten men after the sending-off, on the stroke of half-time, of Luis Boa Morte for a wretched challenge on Steve Watson. Boa Morte had earlier been booked.

Albion could not capitalise. Fulham seemed happy with the pace of the second half.

Albion have talent in midfield but not, it seems, the flexibility. Junichi Inamoto was again their best player but he did most of his work deep, alongside Ronnie Wallwork, meaning that Albion were denied any creativity behind the strikers.

The longer the season goes on, the more it appears that Albion miss Kieran Richardson. Bryan Robson, the Albion manager, sees the need to strengthen the midfield and will surely do so in January.

Nathan Ellington and Nwankwo Kanu spent most of the match in a battle to stay onside. They barely had a chance between them. When Robert Earnshaw and Geoff Horsfield appeared late in the second half, things did not improve.

It was a frustrating afternoon all round, as Robson's expression indicated. "I was pleased from a defensive point of view but we didn't have the imagination to break them down," Robson said.

"We didn't pass the ball well enough but full credit to Fulham, they played really well in the second half.

"They defended very well but it was another solid performance from us."

Chris Coleman was happier than Robson, understandably so given the nature of the second half and given Albion's domination.

"Our back four was fantastic-and that was the best I've seen them play this season," Coleman said. "When you get a man sent off it changes things. We told them at halftime to keep their composure and I thought they did that very well. We looked very solid and really frustrated West Brom."

Talking points were few, although the best moment of the match came when Paul Robinson of Albion clashed heads with Moritz Volz of Fulham.

It looked a serious problem for both players but, while Volz lay prostate on the floor, Robinson stood up immediately and appeared to feel no pain. "I am a fully committed player," Robinson said.

"Sometimes adrenalin can take over and make you realise that there is no pain. I obviously checked to see that the Fulham player was okay but I just got on with the game."

Albion looked as though they might have scored in the 28th minute but Kanu was offside when he turned the ball into the goal from close range.

A goal then and the match would have been different but Albion never came as close again. Jonathan Greening did his best on one flank, Diomansy Kamara likewise on the opposite side, but Fulham emphasised the value in keeping men behind the ball and in pumping long, high balls up front, just to ensure that the Albion defenders were always on their toes.

One cannot blame Fulham for playing this way - Albion would have done the same, had they gone down to ten men in a similar situation - but this was evidence that Premiership football is facing an identity crisis.

The game has become boring and the crowds are staying away in their thousands. Just 23,144 watched this match.

For the most part, it seemed as though Mark Crossley, the Fulham goalkeeper, was watching it, too, for he had few genuine saves to make. That, perhaps, best sums up Albion's inflexibility and the match as a whole.

Albion are probably too good to go down - there are at least three teams worse - but the most significant period of their season will be the January transfer window.

A talismanic figure, preferably even Kieran Richardson himself, will do much to ease tension at The Hawthorns.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-2): Kuszczak; Watson, Curtis Davies, Clement, Robinson; Greening (Earnshaw 82), Wallwork, Inamoto, Kamara (Carter 67); Kanu (Horsfield

72), Ellington. Subs Not Used: Hoult, Albrechtsen. FULHAM (4-4-2): Crossley, Volz (Knight 70), Goma, Bocanegra, Rosenior, Malbranque, Diop, Boa Morte, John (Legwinski 71), McBride (Helguson 83), Radzinski. Subs Not Used: Warner, Pearce.

Refereee: S Bennett (Kent). Bookings: Albion - Watson (foul); Fulham - Boa Morte, McBride, Diop (fouls).

Sending-off: Fulham - Boa Morte (two bookable offences, both fouls) Attendance: 23,144.

Albion man of the match: Junichi Inamoto - not his best display for Albion but still impressive in midfield.