Everton dealt a huge blow to Fulham’s European hopes as they scored twice in three second-half minutes to earn a comeback victory at Craven Cottage.

Fulham let another lead slip after Raul Jimenez headed them in front during the first half and have now dropped 28 points from winning positions this season.

Vitali Mykolenko levelled for the visitors with a deflected shot in first-half added time as Fulham failed to capitalise on their dominance during the opening 30 minutes.

Jordan Pickford made a superb, fingertip save to deny Fulham’s Harry Wilson midway through the second period before the game turned in a frantic three-minute spell.

Dwight McNeil’s deep corner was headed in by Michael Keane with the goal surviving a VAR check for a foul on Bernd Leno and offside.

Leno was at the centre of the third too, letting Beto’s placed shot through his hands and into the bottom right corner to leave Fulham’s European hopes hanging by a thread.

Fulham have now lost five of their last eight league games which leaves them four points behind eighth-placed Brentford.

Silva: We have to blame ourselves

Fulham boss Marco Silva said:

“We were the best team on the pitch. The first 30, 35 minutes was the level we want. Last 10 minutes, we started to lose some of the main things we had to be in control of the game.

“It is the story of the last three or four games. Goals have come from set-pieces. We have to be willing to fight, do our job well and we didn’t. It’s about concentration and focus.

“We have to blame ourselves because it didn’t happen before, but it did in the last few weeks.”

On dropping 28 points from winning positions: “At the same time, we got almost 20 points from being behind as well. I always prefer to be leading a game, starting the game stronger and trying to win football matches from that moment.”

On European qualification: “We have to do our job. If we don’t do what we should, it doesn’t matter what the other clubs are going to do.

“It’s much more difficult right now and we have to analyse why the last six, seven games have not been at the level that we should be at with these types of moments, late goals or set-piece goals.

“I really believe that the way we have been playing most of the time throughout the season deserves a better end and we have to work for it.”

Moyes: Keane showed his professionalism

Everton boss David Moyes said:

“We were incredibly poor in the first 30 minutes. It looked as if we couldn’t control or pass it, and we never really got to grips with it. I was pleased that it was only 1-0 and we were looking as if we were going to go into half-time 1-0 down.

“But nothing had broke for us in the game either. Deflections were going in Fulham’s favour. The one which really counted was Miko’s (Vitaliy Mykolenko) strike gets a bit of a deflection and goes in. That gave us a bit of hope and something at half-time.”

On Michael Keane: “He’s probably had some difficult times but I’ve got to say he played so well today. He was immense for us in that line. Got the goal from the corner as well. So good on him.

“He’s a great boy, great pro. Sticks at his work. Showed his high level of professionalism by being ready for the game, because we had an injury to Jake (O’Brien) and obviously with Tarky (James Tarkowski). So it meant that we were sort of looking a bit differently at the back.”

The story of the match in stats…

What’s coming up in the Premier League?