A moment of inspiration from Steed Malbranque helped Fulham record their first Barclays Premiership victory of the season as Brian McBride's second-half strike proved enough to beat Everton at Craven Cottage.
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| Brian McBride in the goals again |
The visitors - dumped out of the Champions League by Villarreal in midweek - had the better of a tight first-half, and were rarely troubled before they suddenly found themselves behind just before the hour.
Malbranque, the French midfielder who has been the subject of much transfer speculation, had not been enjoying the most productive of afternoons before suddenly finding his touch.
A perfectly-weighted through ball released full-back Moritz Volz down the right, and his cut-back was dispatched from 12 yards by the hard-working McBride.
The goal by a player who once plied his trade at Everton lifted the spirits around Craven Cottage following Fulham's sluggish start to the new campaign.
It was the visitors, though, who had created the first decent opening after seven minutes.
Tim Cahill stole possession from Papa Bouba Diop and played Mikel Arteta into the area, but his shot across goal was deflected behind.
Then a deep, high ball from Kevin Kilbane, out on the left touchline, almost found Cahill diving in at the near post - the Australian looking to have taken a nudge in the back from Zat Knight - before it bounced over Marcus Bent, who was arriving at speed to the far post.
Simon Davies and Bent collided when trying to intercept a loose ball on the edge of the Fulham box, and were left on the ground in obvious pain.
The home side, though, carried on - much to the annoyance of visiting boss David Moyes and the travelling support - as former Everton man Tomasz Radzinski sprinted away down the left channel, and his cut-back was sent just wide by Luis Boa Morte.
On 21 minutes, Davies pounced on another loose pass across field from Fulham, this time by Knight, and sent a low drive only a few feet wide of Martyn's right-hand post from 20 yards.
Fulham had been thumped 4-1 by Arsenal at Highbury on midweek, and Everton gave them little time to settle this afternoon, getting plenty of men behind the ball when the hosts looked to break, and supporting their own attacks with plenty of options from midfield.
In the 35th minute, though, there was a rare moment of action in the visiting penalty area.
From a corner on the left, Diop's header flicked up off David Weir, and with Martyn beaten, brushed the top of the crossbar.
Then at the other end, Leon Osman chased down Volz and got ahead of the full-back to the ball just before the goalline on the left.
His instinctive centre into the danger area found Cahill, and the Australian's first-time, low effort was well held by Tony Warner down to his right.
The visitors looked to have a strong penalty claim five minutes into the second half when Cahill appeared to be shoulder-charged in the chest by Boa Morte as he latched onto Osman's neat cut-back following more patient approach play from Everton.
Referee Mike Riley was, though, not interested.
Volz had to be alert to send Davies' centre over his own crossbar, with Osman looking to pounce on any mistake in the six-yard box.
Then out of nothing, Fulham took the lead on 56 minutes.
Steed Malbranque, until now a virtual spectator, threaded a perfectly-weighted ball inside the Everton defence for Volz to charge onto down the right channel.
The Austrian looked up before cutting a pass back into the path of McBride, who drilled a low shot into the opposite corner.
Malbranque's dipping centre then almost caught out Martyn, who needed two attempts to collect the ball from under his crossbar.
The Frenchman had now suddenly found his touch.
And after 66 minutes, he turned two markers before sending a low effort just wide from the edge of the area.
It then needed first a brave block from Joseph Yobo to deny McBride a second, with Martyn then producing a flying save to punch away the follow-up effort from Malbranque.
With 16 minutes left, Kilbane was replaced by Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson as Moyes looked to rescue something from the game. Davies then went off for youngster James Vaughan, with Bent replaced by James McFadden.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Everton |
| Goals |
1 |
0 |
| Possession |
54% |
46% |
| Goal attempts |
9 |
6 |
| On Target |
4 |
2 |
| Corners |
6 |
2 |
| Off-sides |
0 |
4 |
| Penalty |
0 |
0 |
| Fouls |
24 |
25 |
| Yellows |
1 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
1 |
| source: skysport/Opta sports data |
And the changes almost produced a late equaliser when Ferguson's close-range header from McFadden's centre was parried away by a good reaction save from Warner.
Boa Morte could have made it two when he broke into the Everton box, only to screw his effort wide.
Phil Neville then received a second yellow card and was sent off in the final minute for tripping Radzinski.
Fulham Warner, Volz, Knight, Bocanegra, Niclas Jensen, Malbranque, Claus Jensen, Diop, Boa Morte, McBride, Radzinski.
Subs Not Used: Helguson, John, Batista, Elrich, Rehman.
Booked: Malbranque.
Goals: McBride 57.
Everton Martyn, Hibbert, Weir, Yobo, Neville, Davies (Vaughan 77), Arteta, Cahill, Kilbane (Ferguson 75), Osman, Bent (McFadden 77).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Ferrari.
Sent Off: Neville (90).
Booked: Weir, Neville.
Att: 17,169
Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).