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Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool
Premier League
 Saturday 28 April 2012; 3:00pm
Everton 
4 0
 Fulham
 Jelavic (pen:7', 40'), Fellaini (16'), Cahill (60')
Half Time: 3-0
 
Attendance: 31,885
Fixture 35
Referee: Phil Dowd

Match Summary

No Baines, Rodwell or Drenthe again so David Moyes named an unchanged line-up, with Distin at left back and Fellaini in the hole behind Jelavic.

Everton took the initiative from the start, Pienaar and Distin pressing forward, the South Africa wining a free-kick where Progrebnyak raised his arms instinctively to protect his face. Penalty! Jelavic lashed it home sending Schwarzer the wrong way, with just five minutes gone!

Fulham mounted their first attack on 10 mins, Dembele forcing a great save from Howard. But it was at the other end that another free-kick was awarded to Everton and Heitinga lofted it poorly.

After some deliberative sideways passing at the back, a Jageileka hoofball picked out Jagielka who turned and hit the post, then won a corner, from which Fellaini nodded home confidently. 2 - 0!!!

Everton were on confident mood and continued to play some silky football going forward, while not forgetting their defensive duties when Fulham had possession. Dempsey got in a shot that went over, then looked certian to drill it past Howard but a defection and a great reaction save from his fellow American pushed the ball onto the bar and over.

Five minutes before half-time and Jelavic scored anextraordinary goal, getting loose on a grat ball from Pienaar but going a little too wide; however, he kept possession as Schwarzer regrouped, then took a shot from a very narrow angle that went straight through Schwarzer's legs and in at the near post despite a desperate attempt to block on the line. Great multi-touch mastery from the big Croat!

The Blues continued to dominate the game and ran off to a chorus of applause at the break. But a surprise change at the half was Gisbson (who had been booked and may have been injured) staying off and Tim Cahill getting his largely ineffective role back behind the striker.

And it was Cahill who scored the fourth goal with a deft touch off a wonderful chip from Pienaar that left the Fulham defence for dead.

Jelevaic then won and took a really good free-kick that almost won his hat-trick, Schwarzer making a good save to deny him.

Everton tried everything they could to set up Jelavic for his hat-trick but the ball just wouldn't fall fro him despite intricate passing and movement from the Blue shirts, until Neville finally tried a blast that was blocked and gave Fulham a counter-attack chance. Fellaini then made way for a rare reappearance by young Ross Barkley.

Pienaar and Osman forced last-gasp saves from Schwarzer in quick succession, as it seemed that fifth goal would never come. Pienaar was then replaced by Magaye Gueye and the Blues palyed out time without really threatening.

Michael Kenrick

 

Match Preview

Their tails up again following last Sunday's thrilling comeback at Old Trafford, Everton are looking to carry their Premier League momentum through to the end of the season, with Fulham the visitors for the Blues' penultimate home game.

European qualification is still mathematically possible but seeing as David Moyes's side would need to win all four of their remaining fixtures and hope Tottenham lose all theirs it's a very remote possibility, so the goal is now to ensure that Everton clinch seventh place along with the additional revenue and local bragging rights that would come with it.

In that respect, the Cottagers are the ideal opponents this weekend given the Blues' record against them in recent years. Fulham have come to Goodison Park 10 times in the Premier League and lost on every occasion, conceding an average of 2.3 goals in the process. Everton have owned Fulham in this fixture over the past decade (starting, of course, with Moyes's first match in charge in March 2002) and the manager will be hoping to extend that run.

As was the case last weekend for the match against Manchester United, he will be without Leighton Baines and Jack Rodwell who are sidelined with hamstring injuries and Royston Drenthe who remains frozen out of the manager's thinking, his Everton career effectively over.

It's likely, therefore, that Moyes will continue with Sylvain Distin at left back and, fitness permitting, Phil Neville could play again in central midfield with Marouane Fellaini pushed up in support of Nikica Jelavic. The Belgian played a blinder in that role at Old Trafford and could well be asked to reprise his role in the hole, with Tim Cahill starting on the bench again.

If so, the Australian could be joined by the likes of Denis Stracqualursi, Apostolos Vellios and Ross Barkley, all three of whom will be champing at the bit for more playing time after seeing their first-team options dwindle over the course of the season.

If selected, Leon Osman will make his 300th game for Everton and Tony Hibbert will make his 250th, milestones that underscore the service that both have given the Club over the past decade or so.

Fulham's record at Goodison may be abysmal but their form over the past few months is only bettered by the top four and Everton. Their win over Wigan last Saturday moved them up to ninth, just two points behind the Blues, and in free-scoring Clint Dempsey they have a potent weapon that Messers Heitinga and Phil Jagielka will need to keep subdued.

This will be the third meeting between the clubs this season and, having won 3-1 at Craven Cottage in October and knocked Martin Jol's side out of the FA Cup in January, victory for Everton would complete a clean sweep of Fulham.

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Match Preview
Match Summary
Match Report
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Match Reports
2011-12 Reports Index
< Man Utd (A) Stoke City (A) >
EVERTON (4-5-1)
  Howard
  Hibbert
  Heitinga
  Jagielka
  Distin
  Osman
  Gibson :43' (46' Cahill)
  Neville
  Pienaar (84' Gueye)
  Fellaini (75' Barkley)
  Jelavic
  Subs not used
  Mucha
  McFadden
  Stracqualursi
  Anichebe
  Unavailable
  Baines (injured)
  Rodwell (injured)
  Drenthe (disciplinary)
  Bidwell (loan)
  Forshaw (loan)
  Nsiala (loan)
  Garbutt (loan)
  McAleny (injured)
  Wallace (loan)
  Yobo (loan)
FULHAM (4-4-2)
  Schwarzer
  Hughes
  Senderos (46' Baird)
  Hangeland
  Riise
  Duff
  Diarra :79' (82' Etuhu)
  Dembele
  Frei
  Dempsey
  Pogrebnyak (66' Murphy)
  Subs not used
  Stockdale
  Orlando Sa
  Kasami
  Kacaniklic

Premier League Scores
Saturday
Everton 4 - 0 Fulham
Stoke 1 - 1 Arsenal
Sunderland 2 - 2 Botlon
Swansea 4 - 4 Wolves
West Brom 0 - 0 Aston Villa
Wigan 4 - 0 N ewcastle
Norwich 0 - 3 Liverpool
Sunday
Chelsea 6 - 1 QPR
Tottenham 2 - 0 Blackburn
Monday
Man City 1 - 0 Man Utd


Team Pts
1 Manchester City 83
2 Manchester United 83
3 Arsenal 66
4 Tottenham Hotspur 62
5 Newcastle United 62
6 Chelsea 61
7 Everton 51
8 Liverpool 49
9 Fulham 46
10 West Bromwich Albion 46
11 Sunderland 45
12 Swansea City 44
13 Norwich City 43
14 Stoke City 43
15 Aston Villa 37
16 Wigan Athletic 37
17 Queens Park Rangers 34
18 Bolton Wanderers 34
19 Blackburn Rovers 31
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 24
OK

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