LIVERPOOL - Ayegbeni Yakubu grabbed a second-half hat-trick as Everton stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games - the best in five-and-a-half years under manager David Moyes.
After a dour, uninspiring start, Everton warmed up nicely for their Carling Cup quarter-final at West Ham on Wednesday.
Yakubu, an £11million signing from Middlesbrough, has now scored nine goals in 16 games, but the better statistic is eight in 10 starts in the Barclays Premier League.
Fulham eventually could not live with his strength in testing conditions, and he claimed the first Everton hat-trick since Steve Watson hit three at Leeds five years ago.
Fresh from their triumph in reaching the last 32 of the UEFA Cup, Everton clearly wanted their good form to continue and send them into Wednesday's tie in good spirits. They also needed to avoid any injuries ahead of an increasingly demanding programme.
But in driving rain on a miserable, cold afternoon, the hosts struggled to achieve any authority in the first half.
And they also lost full-back Leighton Baines with a hamstring injury, something he probably would not have picked up if the surface had been more reliable.
Joseph Yobo had returned to Everton's defence after recovering from an ankle problem, with Phil Jagielka dropping to the bench.
Moyes also recalled Leon Osman and Yakubu with Andrew Johnson and James McFadden rested and left on the bench.
Fulham made one change from the side that lost 2-0 at Manchester United in midweek, with Diomansy Kamara coming in for Hameur Bouazza.
Two corners in the opening minutes could easily have seen the visitors go ahead.
Firstly Simon Davies' corner was met by Kamara, with a flicked header flashing across goal. Then Steven Davis produced a chip into the box which Tim Howard had to bravely punch off Dejan Stefanovic's head.
Everton were equally quick into action, Joleon Lescott saw a hooked shot from Mikel Arteta's corner saved by Antti Niemi, with the Finnish goalkeeper needing to be at his best to touch over a deflected Arteta free-kick.
Kamara got himself booked for failing to retreat 10 yards at a free-kick after 11 minutes, and the game deteriorated rapidly.
Everton lost Baines after 22 minutes with Jagielka coming on to initially fill the left-back slot before being moved to central defence, allowing Lescott to move to the left.
The quality and the conditions got worse; Stefanovic mis-hit 15 yards out and Danny Murphy saw a first-time shot skid wide from further Fulham set-pieces. Half-time could not come quickly enough.
But six minutes into the second half Everton's new-found urgency saw them take the lead.
Lescott's lob into the box was mis-headed by Stefanovic and the ball fell for Tim Cahill to hook goalwards from a difficult angle.
Niemi made a fine save, but the ball rolled out for a somewhat surprised Yakubu to steer over the line from 10 yards.
Fulham hit back with a snap shot from Clint Dempsey which Howard pushed away, but this was hard work now for the west Londoners, with Everton clearly responding to Moyes' half-time team talk.
And it got worse for Fulham after 61 minutes. Poor marking after Arteta's corner allowed Jagielka to flick the ball on, and Yakubu to rise unchallenged to head home from a yard out.
Fulham sent on David Healy for Dempsey three minutes later, but Everton were in full swing by now and the task for a ragged Fulham worsened by the minute.
Elliot Omozusi was booked for dissent after running 50 yards to complain to a linesman over the absence of an offside decision when Arteta almost made it three.
Seol Ki-Hyeon took over from Danny Murphy but by now Sanchez was just rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship.
And after 79 minutes Yakubu completed his hat-trick. He side-stepped Stefanovic with ease in the box to guide the ball past Niemi.
Eight minutes from the end, Johnson and McFadden took over from Cahill and Yakubu, clearly with Wednesday's cup tie in mind.
