Arteta on the spot to sink Cottagers

A last-gasp penalty from Mikel Arteta gave Everton a 2-1 victory over a second-string Fulham side and kept the Toffee's slim hopes of European football alive.

With Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg in mind, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson made nine changes for the game but came within seconds of ending a run of 16 successive defeats at Goodison Park.

Although Erik Nevland capitalised on a dreadful mistake from Leighton Baines to give Fulham a 36th-minute lead against the run of play, Victor Anichebe hauled Everton level five minutes after his arrival as a half-time sub before Arteta stroked home a face-saving winner deep into injury time.

For the first 36 minutes Fulham were over-run and barely in the match as Everton created, and wasted, a host of chances.

Mark Schwarzer smothered a 20-yard snap shot from Tim Cahill and was saved by the right-hand upright as Diniyar Bilyaletdinov cracked a left-foot volley against the base of the post.

One-way traffic followed as Cahill was off target with a free header and Yakubu dragging a shot past the post after an error from defender Chris Smalling.

But then nine minutes from the break Fulham scored courtesy of a howler from Baines, who played a nonchalant backpass to Tim Howard without looking, allowing Nevland to nip in and flick the ball over the advancing American goalkeeper.

At half-time boss David Moyes brought on Anichebe for Bilyaletdinov and the change proved to be inspired as the striker levelled five minutes later.

Arteta supplied a dinked cross from the left-hand edge of Fulham's penalty area and Anichebe bravely nodded into the net.

With a draw on the cards, a Chris Baird foul on Cahill inside the area allowed Arteta to score from the spot with virtually the last kick of the game.