Pajtim Kasami scored his first Fulham goal as Martin Jol's side beat Sunderland 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Sunderland looked lively in the early stages of the match, with both Emanuele Giaccherini and Stephane Sessegnon going close with powerful efforts from outside the area.
Fulham enjoyed plenty of possession in midfield and looked composed for long periods but failed to bring Dimitar Berbatov into the game as Sunderland's defence held firm.
A quiet first half nearly ended in spectacular fashion when Ondrej Celustak controlled a pass on his chest before drilling a shot towards the top corner of the goal to force Maarten Stekelenburg into a fantastic save.
Sunderland continued to look the most likely to break the deadlock in the early stages of the second half, with Adam Johnson displaying superb skill as he beat a couple of defenders before curling a shot wide of the post.
The hosts were made to regret their lack of a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch when Kasami jumped highest at the back post to head home Damien Duff's corner, as Fulham took the lead with their first effort on target.
Altidore was enjoying more space as the game stretched late in the contest but the forward failed to take advantage, hitting a tame effort straight at David Stockdale, who was forced to replace the injured Stekelenburg.
There was time for one more big Sunderland chance, with Johnson delivering an inviting cross which substitute Ji Dong-Won somehow managed to head wide, as Fulham held firm to secure an impressive victory.
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