A HEADER from Marouane Fellaini 15 minutes from time ended Fulham's interest in the FA Cup for another year.

The Whites have a dismal record at Goodison Park – having never won there in the league - but at least previous cup successes at Everton raised hopes that this time, it would be different.

Those hopes grew on 14 minutes when Danny Murphy (pictured) fired home a penalty to give the Whites the lead, but the hosts drew level just before the half hour and looked the likelier winners after that.

Fulham keeper David Stockdale did his best to keep out Fellaini's header as it went back across him and got his fingers to the ball, but it just had enough pace to beat him.

Martin Jol surprisingly omitted Bobby Zamora from his starting line-up, only bringing him off the bench after the Whites had fallen behind. But the England striker was unable to alter the course of events.

Another sub, Marcello Trotta, came closer when he found space on the edge of the box in the final minute – only to be dispossessed.

The Friday night scheduling condemned Fulham's tie to seem like an afterthought – particularly given the amount of publicity generated by tomorrow's high profile ties at QPR and Liverpool.

But the Whites appeared determined to give chairman Mohamed Al Fayed the perfect 79 th birthday present and led when Murphy beat Tim Howard from the spot after a Chris Baird shot had struck the arm of the Toffees' Dutch defender, Johnny Heitinga.

The home side hit back quickly and after Shane Duffy had headed a good chance off target, Tim Cahill forced Stockdale into a save and Stephen Kelly cleared another Duffy effort off the line.

It was no surprise when Everton levelled on 28 minutes, with Argentine striker Denis Stracqualursi glancing in a Landon Donovan cross for his first goal for the club. Donovan was also the supplier for Fellaini's winner.

Bryan Ruiz spurned a decent opportunity to put the Whites back in front before the break, shooting straight at Howard from inside the area when he had team-mates better placed.

But the hosts still carried the greater threat, and Cahill fired just wide following a goalmouth scramble as the first half drew to a close.

Line-up: Stockdale; Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Murphy, Baird, Ruiz, Dempsey, Johnson. Subs: Etheridge, Sidwell, Senderos, Frei, Zamora, Davies, Trotta.

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