KEVIN Nolan sympathised with Jussi Jaaskelainen for making a wonder save that counted for nothing.

The Finland international pulled off a hat-trick of second half saves to keep Wanderers in the game at Fulham on Saturday, but was helpless to prevent Andy Cole scoring twice to give the Londoners a well deserved 2-0 victory.

The pick of Jaaskelainen's repertoire was a full-length diving effort to deny Fulham full-back Moritz Volz in the 73rd minute, when Wanderers were still only a goal behind.

"That should have been a matchwinning save," Nolan said. "I feel sorry for Jussi because he's had a great game and made some fantastic saves.

"I was watching the shot and thought at first it was going over then realised it was going in the top corner ... then the big Finn was there for us again as he always is.

"He's a great keeper, top class and one of the best in the Premiership.

"You expect things like that from him because he does it week in and week out. He makes saves that should be winning us matches and not seeing us get beat 2-0."

Nolan, who was one of only two players - Jay-Jay Okocha was the other - to test home keeper Edwin Van der Sar, did not begrudge Fulham their victory but made the point that luck had not gone Wanderers' way.

"They had a lot of luck," he said. "Their first goal took deflections before it trickled over the line then I've hit a shot which spun and Van der Sar managed to do something, I don't know what, that sent the ball past the post. Then we go and blow it by giving away a stupid goal at the end after Jussi had made those saves to keep us in the game.

"But we didn't deserve anything and we didn't get anything.

"The lads are absolutely devastated after starting so well at home and coming here and not putting on a performance.

"We were really second best, virtually all the way through the game and that's disappointing from us, being such a hard-working side with a lot of talented individuals.

"But not enough of us performed and that was the major factor.

"You've got to give them (Fulham) credit for playing really well but, if we'd been on top of our game, we'd have done a lot better. That's the most disappointing thing.

"If we'd done what we did against Charlton last week, we'd have troubled them. But we've got to put it to bed now. We've got a big game on Wednesday and, hopefully, we can get a good result there and go back up the M6 very happy.

"We can sit and moan and groan and sulk but, the sooner we get this to the back of our heads and look forward to Southampton, the better.

"Last week we were good, this week we were bad ... this has given us a good kick up the backside."

Nolan said there were no excuses for such a contrasting performance after Wanderers had hit the heights against Charlton.

"It's the same 11 players but we just didn't get the performance levels we got last week. The lads have been away on international duty but that's no excuse. We're all professionals, we're paid to play, paid to do a job and this week we didn't do it properly and we've suffered a 2-0 defeat.

"But hopefully we can go to Southampton on Wednesday and try and get three points like we did last year.

"Last week we started well. Everybody expected great things from us because of what happened last season and maybe we got a bit carried away. But I don't think you can put your finger on that.

"All you can say is that we were poor and Fulham were good. They got the rub of the green at times and we didn't. Let's hope we get it on Wednesday."