Fulham put a dent in Everton's bid for a Champions League place at Craven Cottage to end their own fears of relegation from the Barclays Premiership.

Chris Coleman's Cottagers had to survive the last 15 minutes with 10 men after referee Steve Bennett handed out a second yellow card to midfielder Papa Bouba Diop.

It meant David Moyes' men, recent winners over Manchester United, missed a golden chance to put more daylight between themselves and local rivals Liverpool.

Moyes' team, who have thrived on spirit and grit this season, could not match those qualities in Coleman's side.

Fulham's victory was crowned by glorious strikes from Dutch striker Collins John and American marksman Brian McBride.

But Everton's ragged defending and unimaginative attacking are a cause for concern.

Lee Carsley missed a gaping opportunity for them shortly after the break after Duncan Ferguson's aerial power had opened the door for him.

But the Toffees looked stuck from the moment Tim Cahill limped off following Lee Clark's tackle in the early minutes.

Kevin Kilbane thought he had given Everton a lead in the opening two minutes when nudging home a David Weir's deflection following Mikel Arteta's free-kick - but Bennett ruled it out on a linesman's advice.

From then on it was all Fulham, who made the most of their chances in the first half as Everton despaired over a series of near-misses.

There were only 12 minutes gone when Everton lost 10-goal Cahill, who was flattened by a crunching tackle near the half way line by Fulham captain Clark.

The Australian midfielder bravely limped on for a while but eventually had to be replaced by Leon Osman.

And there was an even bigger blow for the Merseysiders on 15 minutes when John gave Fulham the advantage.

Everton should have cleared the danger which Luis Boa Morte and Liam Rosenior provided on the left, but although Tomasz Radzinski's shot was charged down when Rosenior put the ball in, John had time to blast the ball beyond Nigel Martyn.

The visitors have failed to win at Craven Cottage since Alan Ball joined them, from Blackpool, 39 years ago.

And the hosts were ahead on points and goals in an early battle of attrition in midfield.

Martyn's long clearance almost brought a freak 20th minute equaliser - even Edwin van der Sar's 6ft 5in frame was fully stretched to keep out his opposite number's booming clearance.

John was just wide with another blast after McBride and Luis Boa Morte linked to set him up and former Toffees favourite Radzinski saw a shot blocked when it might well have been heading for the net.

Ferguson was having to live on crumbs for Everton, tightly marked by the giant Zat Knight, who even had time to test Martyn at the other end from a corner.

The big Scot was unlucky when his flicked header was knocked away for a corner - from which he was up highest, only to put his header straight at van der Sar.

That was an expensive miss, and with six minutes to go before the break McBride punished the visitors with a glorious header which sailed over Martyn and into the top corner from Boa Morte's pinpoint cross.

When Carsley spurned a great chance to cut the deficit three minutes into the second half, shooting wide with only van der Sar to beat after Ferguson outjumped two defenders to nod down, it looked like Everton's dismal record at Craven Cottage would remain.

Wise use of substitutions by Fulham boss Chris Coleman kept his side fresh for the fight and, led by Clark's midfield marauding, they gave as good as they got until Diop was sent packing.

The Senegalese midfielder had been booked for a trip on one substitute, Leon Osman in the 68th minute - and he received a second yellow for an even more innocuous offence on another, James McFadden, seven minutes later.

But Fulham would not let the loss of their big midfielder, just back after a month out with hamstring trouble, affect their focus.

And Everton did not have enough to challenge it despite the belated arrival of £6million substitute James Beattie, who twice tested van der Sar.

Teams

Fulham Van der Sar, Volz, Knight, Goma, Rosenior, Radzinski (Jensen 63), Diop, Clark, Boa Morte, McBride, John (Cole 61).

Subs Not Used: Bocanegra, Pembridge, Crossley.

Sent Off: Diop (76).

Booked: Diop.

Goals: John 15, McBride 39.

Everton Martyn, Watson, Weir, Yobo, Pistone, Bent (Beattie 64), Arteta (McFadden 64), Cahill (Osman 13), Carsley, Kilbane, Ferguson.

Subs Not Used: Plessis, Wright.

Booked: Pistone, Arteta, McFadden.

Att: 21,881

Ref: S Bennett (Kent).