McBride delivers more Euro blues for Everton

Everton may have been brilliant in defeat against Fiorentina but they were flat and unimpressive at Fulham, devoid of any attacking threat before or after Brian McBride's winner in the 67th minute.

They have slipped three points behind rivals Liverpool in the race for the fourth Champions League place with just eight games to play and with the Mersey derby at Anfield looming large on March 30.

"Liverpool have always been the favourites," said Moyes, who beat the Reds into fourth spot in 2005. "Our team is better now but we qualified for the Champions League with 61 points that year and this time that will not be good enough.

"We've been on a great run but that wasn't one of our better performances."

It was Everton's first defeat in the Barclays Premier League in 2008 and was inflicted by a feisty Fulham side fighting for their lives and roared on by a noisy crowd at Craven Cottage.

The support delighted Roy Hodgson, who enjoyed only his second win since taking over from Lawrie Sanchez and now starts a sequence of four games against relegation rivals Newcastle, Derby, Sunderland and Reading that will probably decide the club's fate.

Unfortunately for Fulham, only the Sunderland match is at home and they have not won a Premier League game on the road for 18 months.

Hodgson said: "You could have closed your eyes and thought you were at Old Trafford or Anfield and it was due to the fact that the players played well. We knew we had to get a victory and when you're fighting for your life at the bottom the motivation is stronger than when you're trying for fourth and the Champions League."

The only goal of the game was created and finished by two former Everton players. Simon Davies tore down Fulham's left flank, out-pacing Lee Carsley to deliver a wonderful cross.

Phil Jagielka looked set to head it clear until Joseph Yobo stretched his neck to deflect it away from his central defensive partner and into McBride's air space. Fulham's captain made no mistake, heading home his first goal since he injured knee ligaments scoring against Middlesbrough in August and lost six months of his season.

"I don't like conceding goals but if anyone was to score I'm glad it was Brian," said Moyes, who brought the American to England when he was manager of Preston and them took him on loan to Everton. "He is a great player and a great professional."

Everton, already missing injured strikers Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan and attacking midfielder Tim Cahill, lost Andy Johnson with a groin strain after 14 minutes. Yakubu failed to carry the responsibility alone. He had two sights of goal in the first half but did not strike either shot sweetly and Kasey Keller saved them easily.

Joleon Lescott was pushed up front in a bid to salvage a point but the late chances all fell to Fulham.

Davies fluffed a shot in front of goal and Eddie Johnson, who looked out of sorts for long spells, lashed a 20-yarder just over the bar.

It was a welcome win for a Fulham team who received a training ground visit from chairman Mohamed Al Fayed last week to lift their spirits.

Hodgson said: 'It's great that he found the time to come in and see the players and he was his usual enthusiastic self. 'It was important but I don't believe people can walk in and give a message and turn a bad team into a good one. I don't believe in magic wands.

'I believe in working hard every day and making sure players know their jobs. I wish I could sit around all week smoking a cigar in my office and then have a few words and send them out to play like gods.'