Premier League: Everton 4 Fulham 0

Everton scored four goals for the second week running to stay in seventh place in the table.

A fantastic first-half display gave Everton the platform for a comfortable 4-0 win, with Nikica Jelavic (2), Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill finding the net.

On the back of their 4-4 draw at Old Trafford with Manchester United, Everton were in buoyant mood, led by lone striker Jelavic.

The Croatian needed only six minutes to score his eighth goal in his last seven appearances.

Jelavic saw his 25 yard free-kick blocked by the arm of Pavel Pogrebnyak in the Fulham wall and referee Phil Dowd showed no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, which Jelavic coolly converted.

In the opening 10 minutes Fulham barely made their way past the halfway line, with the only chance falling to Kerim Frei, but after evading the challenge of Tony Hibbert, his drive was turned behind by Tim Howard.

However, they were on the back foot soon after when a long ball from John Heitinga put Jelavic through but his shot hit the outside of Mark Schwarzer’s post.

The Fulham defence continued to look susceptible and a fine run by Leon Osman led to Everton’s second goal.

After more clever play from Jelavic, Osman’s shot was blocked behind by Brede Hangeland but from the resulting corner, a free header from the unmarked Fellaini beat Schwarzer.

Fulham have had one of the league’s outstanding performers this season in Clint Dempsey, but his US team-mate Tim Howard showed his quality in the 31st minute to deny the away side a foothold in the match.

Aaron Hughes’ cross from the right was nodded down by Pogrebnyak into the path of Dempsey but Howard produced a brilliant save to keep his shot out.

If that save denied Fulham a lifeline, then Jelavic’s second in the 39th minute ended the contest.

Steven Pienaar strode through midfield before finding Jelavic and while the advancing Schwarzer initially sent him wide, he went unchallenged and was allowed to turn back inside before drilling a low shot through the keeper’s legs.

It was his ninth goas in seven games and 10 since his arrival in English football.

At half-time Moyes made one change to his line-up, replacing Darron Gibson, who picked up a booking late in the first-half, with Tim Cahill.

Everton begun the second-half at a leisurely pace but in the 60th minute re-asserted their dominance with a fourth goal thanks again to Pienaar.

The South African playmaker played a clever one-two to evade the Fulham midfield, before scooping a wonderful through pass to the on-rushing Cahill who diverted the ball past his Australian team-mate Schwarzer.

Five minutes later Jelavic almost completed his hat-trick, curling a 25-yard free-kick over the wall, only to be denied by Schwarzer at full stretch.

Schwarzer denied Osman with two late saves in a minute late.