Daryl Murphy netted his 20th and 21st goals of the season to see the Blues into a commanding 2-0 half-time lead over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Tyrone Mings, Kevin Bru and Jay Tabb returned to the Town starting line-up with Jonny Parr and Stephen Hunt dropping to the bench, while Darren Ambrose missed out having picked up a hamstring niggle.
Dean Gerken was replaced on the bench by Paddy Kenny, the former Colchester man having suffered a hand injury, while David McGoldrick was left back in Suffolk having also missed the 2-1 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday with a thigh problem.
Irish U21 international winger Dylan Connolly was named as a sub for the first time since joining the club, while Cameron Stewart travelled but missed out on a place in 18.
Adam McDonnell, still unavailable with his clearance from FIFA yet to come through despite having been signed in September, also made the trip.
Former England international Scott Parker was back in the Fulham starting line-up, alongside ex-Blues loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe.
The Blues started with a midfield diamond matching the home side’s system with Bishop at the most advanced point, Tabb on the left, Bru on the right and Cole Skuse in the deeper role.
Town might have gone ahead within the first minute, Murphy crossing low to strike partner Freddie Sears but his shot was straight at Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
The Blues continued to threaten and in the fifth minute Shaun Hutchinson was forced to turn a Sears cross from the right behind.
And from the corner Murphy grabbed his 20th goal of the season to put his side in front. Tabb sent the ball in from the left and the Irishman’s header struck a defender before beating Bettinelli.
Murphy suffered a blow to his head as he scored his goal, what appeared to be a nose injury subsequently requiring lengthy treatment and a new shirt, so the celebration was somewhat muted for a man who had just become the first Town player to net 20 league goals in a season since David Johnson scored 22 in the 1999/00 season.
Fulham had most of the ball in the period after Town’s goal but without being able to cause the Blues any real danger. All too often they eventually resorted to long balls over the top which came to nothing.
On 22 skipper Luke Chambers failed to deal with a deep ball from the right, allowing Alexander Kacaniklic to cross low from the left but Christophe Berra cut it out.
At the other end, Bishop, by now playing in a wide right role with Bru in the centre with Skuse, fed Sears inside the area to the left, but the former Colchester man’s shot was blocked.
But, with rain now falling heavily, the game mostly consisted of Fulham playing the ball around in midfield but unable to find a way through the Blues’ backline.
Town looked the more dangerous side on the break, a defender’s toe preventing Murphy’s 30th minute cross from the left from finding Sears. From the corner, the ball came out to Bishop but the midfielder hit his shot into the ground.
A minute later Cottagers skipper Parker brought the ball forward before feeding Hugo Rodallega, but the Colombian’s first touch let him down and Bartosz Bialkowski claimed.
On 33 Kacaniklic cut in from the right having switched flanks earlier in the half and hit a low shot which Bialkowski pushed around his post.
The home side were beginning to put the Blues under some pressure, Parker lifting a shot just over from the edge of the box after a corner had been cleared to him.
However, Town came close to making it 2-0 in the 36th minute when, after good work from Skuse and Bishop as the Blues broke, the ball ricocheted into Sears’s path in the clear to the right of goal. Fortunately for Fulham, Bettinelli blocked his shot.
The Blues again should have added to their lead a minute later when Murphy held off Hutchinson down the left and crossed. The ball reached Sears, who moved it on to Bishop but Bettinelli acrobatically saved to his left.
Town finally scored the second goal their first-half performance fully deserved in the final scheduled minute. Bishop won the ball on the right just inside the Blues half. Bru found Skuse, who brought the ball forward and moved it left, where Tabb fed Mings.
The left-back whipped over a low ball, which deflected to Murphy on the right of the area, the striker taking a touch before curling home his 21st goal of the campaign.
After Tabb, who had earlier required treatment to a head injury having been blocked off somewhay cynically by Jazz Richards, was replaced by Jonny Parr, the half-time whistle was blown.
Town fully deserved their lead and probably should have been even further ahead with Sears and Bishop both squandering decent chances.
Having got the early goal, the Blues challenged Fulham to find a way through them but Bialkowski in the Town goal had rarely been seriously threatened.
The Blues always posed more danger on the break with two-goal Murphy once again outstanding as he took a season’s total beyond the 20-goal mark.
Fulham: Bettinelli, Richards, Hutchinson, Bodurov, Stafylidis, Christensen, Tunnicliffe, Parker, Kacaniklic, Rodallega, McCormack. Subs: Kiraly, Burn, Grimmer, Fofana, Roberts, Ruiz, Woodrow.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru, Bishop, Tabb (Parr 45), Murphy, Sears. Subs: Kenny, Clarke, Anderson, S Hunt, Connolly, N Hunt. Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire).