Fulham snuffed out the threat of wonder kid Wayne Rooney to earn themselves Premiership football next season.
In fact 75 minutes had gone before he had an effort on goal, when he blasted a half-volley from six yards into the second tier of the stand.
But it was never a case of missed Everton chances, Fulham were always the more hungry even though they were handed a slice of luck for both goals.
Alan Stubbs toe-poked a tame header from Sean Davis over Richard Wright for the first and the keeper fluffed a low angled free-kick even though the ball appeared to be deflected by the hand of Luis Boa Morte before it crossed the line.
Before that however, Everton had the best chance of the half. On four minutes a combination of keeper and post denied the Merseysiders from their first attack.
A cross from Mark Pembridge by past everybody only to be returned by Lee Carsley, whose attempted cross struck the heel of Andy Melville and Maik Taylor's hand before coming back off the woodwork. The alert Taylor scrambled to safety as Carsley came in for a second bite.
At the other end Boa Morte burst through only to have the ball nicked off his toe by Joseph Yobo to send it just past the post.
After Stubbs' blunder Everton were up against it and Wright spilled the ball from Steed Malbranque's shot with Elvis Hammond just a toe-nail's length away from converting the rebound.
Even though Duncan Ferguson added a second-half threat and Yobo had a point-blank header saved by Taylor right at the death, it was no more than Fulham deserved.