Premier League: Everton 2 Fulham 1

Everton managed to hold off a second half challenge from Fulham to come away with a 2-1 win at Goodison Park on Saturday.

On an afternoon of comebacks in the English Premier League, Everton managed to hang on to a two goal buffer, despite Clint Dempsey’s second half strike for Fulham putting the pressure on in the last half hour.

Seamus Coleman opened the scoring with a 36th-minute header and Louis Saha rifled home just after the break, and although Dempsey pulled one back with a precise finish, it was not enough for Mark Hughes’ men.

The home side flew out of the blocks and sprayed shots at the Fulham goal. A succession of corners followed but Fulham custodian Mark Schwarzer was not given too much to do in the opening stages.

Eventually defender Coleman showed the Everton forwards how it is done when he headed his side ahead 10 minutes before the break.

The Ireland man was left unmarked at the back post and made no mistake with a precise header that gave Schwarzer no chance.

Saha got his act together in the second half and lashed home Everton’s second from a free kick just after the break after Dickson Etuhu had felled Jack Rodwell just outside the area.

Fulham did their best to get back into the game and after Etuhu had a drive blocked, Damien Duff had a go but never really troubled Tim Howard in the Everton goal.

At 2-0 it looked like game over, but an inspired substitution from Hughes just before the hour-mark breathed life into the game.

Bobby Zamora replaced Etuhu and the England forward made an instant impact as he strongly shielded the ball on the edge of the area.

The former Tottenham man laid it off to Dempsey who thundered a left-footed shot beyond Howard and into the corner of the net.

Everton tightened things up at the back in the closing stages- manager David Moyes deciding that if his team wasn’t going to score, Fulham wouldn’t either.

A Mousa Dembele pop-shot was the best that Fulham could create in the final half hour as they looked to have run out of ideas.

Indeed it should have been 3-1 in the closing stages when England defender Phil Jagielka rose highest to head a corner towards the goal, only for Mexico left back Carlos Salcido to clear it off the line with a diving header.