LONDON (AFP) - Jimmy Bullard ended Fulham's miserable winless run with a stunning late free-kick that clinched a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Bullard struck with four minutes to play at Craven Cottage after Simon Davies had cancelled out Fulham defender Aaron Hughes's own goal against his former club.

Roy Hodgson's side had gone 14 matches without a win and were in danger of being cast adrift in the battle to avoid relegation, so Bullard's match-winning performance will give them renewed hope of beating the drop.

It was fitting that Bullard should be the game's key figure. The midfielder only recently returned from 18 months out with a knee injury and this was the kind of moment he would have dreamed about during his gruelling rehabilitation.

Bullard said: "After so long out to comeback like that is unbelievable. I can't believe I scored the winner.

"Just to be out there kicking a ball, let alone scoring, is fantastic.

"Even when we went a goal down we still believed. We know we are still in a fight but if we show that every week we will be fine."

Villa's eight-match unbeaten run in the league is over but manager Martin O'Neill will be just as worried by an injury to Gabriel Agbonlahor, who was forced off at half-time with a hamstring problem that could rule him out of England's friendly against Switzerland on Wednesday.

Hodgson handed Norweigan striker Erik Nevland his Fulham debut. Nevland, a former Manchester United player, arrived in the transfer window from Dutch club Groningen as Hodgson tried to reinvigorate a team that had won only twice in the league.

Bullard set the tone from the start when his free-kick was deflected over the crossbar by Curtis Davies. Then in the 12th minute Clint Dempsey's header was cleared off the line by Wilfred Bouma.

Nevland got his first sight of goal when he rose highest to meet a free-kick from Davies but his header was off-target.

O'Neill's side arrived unbeaten in their last nine away league games and it was easy to see why as they soaked up Fulham's intermittent spells of pressure.

Although Agbonlahor struggled to show the form that earned him a call-up to Fabio Capello's England squad, Villa had two good chances to take the lead.

Shaun Maloney was off-target with a snapshot in the 36th minute before Carew just failed to turn in Maloney's cross.

Dempsey should have given Fulham the lead soon after the break. The American met Paul Koncheskey's cross six yards from goal but mistimed his header.

Fulham were made to pay for that miss in the 69th minute as Villa's set-piece expertise came to the fore again.

Maloney's corner was flicked on by Olof Mellberg and Hughes, attempting to hook clear, succeeded only in deflecting the ball off his knee and into his own net.

Villa's lead was shortlived though as Hodgson's side levelled four minutes later.

Bullard's cross was perfectly weighted for Davies to run across his marker and glance a shot into the far corner.

Maloney forced Antti Niemi into a stretching save as the Fulham keeper clawed away his inswinging free-kick.

But Bullard had already played the provider for his side's first goal and he wasn't finished yet.

In the 86th minute, Davies fouled Diomansy Kamara and Bullard stepped up to curl the free-kick past Carson.