Francis Jeffers did his hopes of a permanent move to Everton the power of good
with a last-ditch equaliser to keep the Toffees in the FA Cup.
The on-loan Arsenal striker was only on the pitch for the final six minutes as
manager David Moyes' last throw of the dice against Fulham, who led through a
49th-minute goal from Sean Davis, the midfielder Everton tried so hard to buy
last summer.
That looked like sending Fulham into round five until Jeffers forced home the
equaliser to secure a replay.
Moyes continued with his three-striker policy with Duncan Ferguson, Tomasz
Radzinski and Wayne Rooney launched at Fulham from the start.
Fulham had former Everton striker Brian McBride unavailable and Ian Pearce
cup-tied but offered a battling display.
Everton instantly attacked the Fulham right and Radzinski was put away by
Kevin Kilbane, who cut inside Moritz Volz to fire a dipping 20 yarder just over
the crossbar.
Ferguson went close on 14 minutes when he met a Kilbane cross and saw the
effort turned off the line and over by Carlos Bocanegra.
Fulham were frustrated with referee Dermot Gallagher, who had ignored two body
checks on Luis Boa Morte and failed to see Thomas Gravesen flick a boot at the
Portuguese striker.
Everton continued to press and when Rooney and Alan Stubbs combined to set up
Kilbane, the Irishman's shot did not have enough power to trouble Edwin van der
Sar.
Fulham defended in depth, but were able to break swiftly and when Barry Hayles
emerged on the right of the box for a clear shooting chance, Nigel Martyn turned
the ball around a post with his legs.
Fulham were grateful when referee Gallagher disallowed a Kilbane goal for
handball.
Everton's pressure continued and Alessandro Pistone lashed a shot into the
side netting, while Davis drilled a low shot just wide.
Kilbane then saw a powerful goalbound header hit Bocanegra a yard from the
line following a 38th-minute Gravesen corner.
Kilbane again, scorned another good chance after Pistone and Rooney had set
him up, shooting wide.
Everton's best plan of attack continued to be Radzinski down the left against
Volz, but a flurry of crosses and corners at the start of the second half failed
to give Everton the breakthrough.
That came at the other end on 48 minutes. Steed Malbranque's searching run
from midfield created a crossing chance for Lee Clark. The ball sped across the
box to Bocanegra, who turned it back for Davis to fire in after Everton failed
to clear.
Kilbane was by now attacking down the left with Radzinski in a central role
alongside Ferguson, but still chances would not fall Everton's way.
Alex Nyarko forced his way past three men to get into the box but the chance
went begging and the efforts of Zat Knight and Alain Goma continued to frustrate
Everton.
Fulham always looked dangerous on the break. On 68 minutes Davis' control in
the box left Hayles with a glittering opportunity, but he shot into the side
netting when he could have killed off the game.
Everton's pressure mounted. Rooney unsuccessfully claimed handball against
Knight in the box and van der Sar produced a fine reflex stop to beat out an
angled Ferguson drive.
Goma was booked for blocking a surging run from Tony Hibbert on 77 minutes as
the strain began to tell on Fulham's hard-pressed defence.
With 10 minutes to go, Facundo Sava replaced the hard-working Hayles.
Everton's response was to put on another forward with six minutes left, Jeffers
replacing full-back Pistone.
A minute later Gravesen's chip into the box found Ferguson unmarked but his
lunge at the ball sent it wide.
But they finally broke through with a minute left. Gravesen's corner was met
by Ferguson's head, and when the ball dropped into a packed six-yard box after
van der Sar's save, Jeffers forced it over the line.
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