Schwarzer earns point

Schwarzer has been linked with Arsenal and, after Manuel Almunia’s blundering performance in defeat to West Brom, it is easy to see why as the ex-Middlesbrough shot-stopper pulled off saves from Ayegbeni Yakubu and Mikel Arteta in a tight game that opened up in the final half hour.

Both sides had a pair of decent penalty appeals rejected by referee Howard Webb and a draw was a fair result as unbeaten Fulham stay in the top half of the table while Everton slid to the bottom.

A largely forgettable affair, the first half was notable only for a penalty appeal and a late chance apiece for two teams with contrasting styles but similarly high levels of organisation.

On nine minutes Fulham - mostly keeping the ball on the floor - looked in hope at Webb when Clint Dempsey was caught by Phil Jagielka. But the England defender just about took the ball first and, in any case, the challenge was just outside the box.

Two minutes later the Toffees, who were marginally the better side in the opening 45, had their own shouts waved away as Tim Cahill went down somewhat easily while alongside Brede Hangeland, Leighton Baines’s superb cross missing both players as they hit the deck.

The first real clear-cut opportunity did not come until the 42nd minute though, as Dickson Etuhu flew across to meet Carlos Salcido’s excellent delivery from the left wing: the Nigeria midfielder’s connection was good but the direction straight at Tim Howard’s midriff.

Everton responded by testing Schwarzer soon afterwards. The Australian had been the busier of the two keepers, dealing with high crosses from left and right, but his first real test came just before half time as he leapt acrobatically across goal to tip Arteta’s vicious swerving drive behind for a corner.

The second half was a similarly cagey affair, with Cahill - a pre-match injury doubt - and Yakubu largely tamed and Dempsey increasingly frustrated at a perceived lack of service.

It came to life on the hour mark as Dempsey capitalised on a slip by Baines to fire in a low drive that Howard parried: he arguably should have scored though, with the freedom of the box to work with.

Seconds later Everton went close, as Baines skinned Chris Baird and Aaron Hughes before clipping a lovely cross that Arteta met with a bicycle kick that dropped just wide.

A tiring Cahill trudged off and immediately his replacement, Leon Osman, stung the palms of Schwarzer with a long-range effort.

Everton should have taken the lead soon afterwards when Yakubu somehow failed to connect with a brilliant low cross from the increasingly influential Seamus Coleman.

The match had suddenly taken on a lease of life as both sides traded quick attacks, Arteta firing just over, Hughes heading wide from a corner and Dempsey sending a low shot wide via the boot of Sylvain Distin.

Mark Hughes made a bold attacking move by bringing forgotten forward Diomansy Kamara into the fold as both sides pushed for the win.

Yakubu was denied a superb individual goal by a brilliant one-handed stop from Schwarzer, the Nigerian spinning off Hangeland and firing a goal-bound low drive: Baird was on hand to hack the loose ball away from danger

Fulham had a second penalty appeal dismissed by Webb as Kamara was eased to the ground by Distin as Salcido sent another wicked cross in from the left, while the Mexican was lucky not to give one away himself when he appeared to tread on the heels of Arteta.

Both sides kept pushing for a winner as Everton looked the more likely: Yakubu almost grabbed one in the first minute of stoppage time, firing a low drive inches wide with Schwarzer well beaten.

In the final exchange of the match the big Australian foiled Yakubu once more: after neat interplay between Arteta and Osman, the former Portsmouth striker thought he had won it with a low finish but Schwarzer managed to get his mighty frame down in time to hold on to the ball and keep Fulham unbeaten in six games so far.