Ferguson keeps Everton in touch

Everton 1 Fulham 0

Everton substitute Duncan Ferguson nodded the winner just four minutes after coming on in the second half against Fulham at Goodison Park.

Everton had slowly taken control of the match after an unimpressive first half in which Nigel Martyn – making his 800th career appearance – had saved his side with a fine point-blank save from a Tomasz Radzinski header.

But on 66 minutes it was Ferguson who stole the points to keep Everton firmly in third place with a close range header.

Radzinski had been verbally abused every time he went near the ball.

Fulham were intent on holding possession at the back and taking the pace out of Everton’s play.

But once Everton got hold of the ball in midfield, largely through Thomas Gravesen, they started to put their game together and Marcus Bent had a couple of half-chances from outside the box that flew well wide.

Radzinski was prepared to fight through the storm of abuse coming his way, and when he was put in on the right of the box from a Steed Malbranque pass he spun to fire across goal and just wide of the far post.

One clever run off the ball let Bent into space, but his shot from just outside the box on 19 minutes was blocked by Papa Bouba Diop.

But Everton’s best chance came a minute later when Leon Osman took possession and found space for a clever chipped cross that Tim Cahill headed fractionally over.

On 22 minutes Pembridge saw a 25-yard free-kick blocked by Tony Hibbert, while Radzinski switched wings to fire in a couple of dangerous crosses which were both dealt with easily.

Bent got the better of Zesh Rehman as he chased a through-ball and Mark Crossley had to race outside his box to hack clear under intense pressure from the big striker.

Referee Graham Poll penalised a Gravesen handball some seconds after the offence, prompting Radzinski to unwisely get involved in an argument with the official who made great play in calling the Fulham man aside for a rollicking.

First into the book was Diop, who was finally penalised on 39 minutes for a foul on Cahill after several previously debatable tackles.

But from Fulham’s first on-target effort of the half, they almost took the lead.

It was no surprise that it was Radzinski who forced an outstanding point-blank save from Nigel Martyn on 40 minutes following a Pembridge cross from the left.

Everton’s tempo increased instantly after the break and from their first attack Gravesen lifted a cross to beyond the far post and Kilbane saw a looping header drop just wide of the far post.

But Fulham were looking more positive and it took a block from Bent following a half-cleared corner to keep out a low Malbranque drive.

On 54 minutes, Fulham put on Sylvain Legwinski for the ineffective Boa Morte, but the intention was to bolster midfield.

Everton were starting to turn the screw, and on 60 minutes Bent chased down the left and produced a fine cross that saw Cahill send in a powerful header that Crossley saved well to his right.

Bent then fired in a 20-yard shot that Crossley tipped over the angle, with Everton replacing Osman with Ferguson on 62 minutes.

Everton got their breakthrough on 66 minutes from a corner conceded by Radzinski.

Gravesen curled the ball into the box and Kilbane saw a fine header pushed out by Crossley only for Ferguson to duck low to nod the ball into the bottom corner.