Fulham were involved in more late drama on Saturday as substitute Steve Sidwell’s last-gasp strike earned the Whites a somewhat fortunate 2-2 draw at home to Everton.

The midfielder tapped home Sascha Riether’s cross at the far post to snatch a draw for the hosts after two Marouane Fellaini strikes had looked set to hand the points to Everton.

An own goal from Tim Howard had given Fulham the lead in the seventh minute. Bryan Ruiz's free-kick was palmed onto the post by Howard but the ball came back off the woodwork, hit the American and rolled over the line.

But the Whites just couldn’t deal with the threat of Fellaini as the big Belgian caused continued havoc all afternoon long. And his two goals appeared to have secured the win for Everton, until Sidwell popped up late on to ensure a share of the spoils.

Martin Jol made two changes to his starting XI from the side that drew 3-3 at Reading last time out. In came Ruiz and Alexander Kačaniklić, with Hugo Rodallega dropping down to the bench. There was no place in the matchday squad for Kieran Richardson, who was unwell. Ruiz tucked in just behind the lone frontman of Dimitar Berbatov. Everton welcomed back Steven Pienaar from suspension.

Everton made the early running, Leon Osman seeing a shot cannon off teammate Fellaini in the opening minute. But against the run of play, the Whites took the lead with their first effort of the game.

After Berbatov had been fouled outside the box by Phil Neville in the seventh minute, Ruiz stepped up to take the free-kick 22 yards from goal. The Costa Rican bent it over the wall and towards the far corner of the net, with Howard only able to push it onto the inside of the post before it rolled over the line. Ruiz was certainly claiming what was Fulham’s 500th Premier League goal but replays showed the ball had hit Howard and gone in after coming back off the post.

Everton responded, with Fellaini forcing Mark Schwarzer into a smart low save, before the Whites broke on 13 minutes after a Toffees attack broke down, with Damien Duff eventually seeing his shot held by Howard.

The visitors continued to enjoy the majority of possession. Nikica Jelavic sent a header over the bar on the half-hour mark, before John Arne Riise went into the book for a late lunge on Seamus Coleman, who had earlier forced Schwarzer into a relatively easy save.

Phil Jagielka was inches away from drawing Everton level on 41 minutes when his drive from just outside the box took a nick off Chris Baird and flashed just wide of Schwarzer’s right-hand post. And Jelavic then failed to take advantage of a poor Baird header, chipping the ball over Schwarzer but also over the bar.

Two minutes after the restart, John Heitinga and Fellaini both somehow conspired to miss the ball from close range after Leighton Baines had whipped in a cross. And the goal Everton had been threatening finally arrived on 55 minutes. Coleman played Kevin Mirallas in down the right and his cutback was met by Fellaini to sweep past Schwarzer from six yards.

Berbatov almost put Fulham back in front, collecting Kačaniklić’s pass and forcing Howard to tip over at his near post. Jol then made a chance, replacing Riise with Ashkan Dejagah in a move that saw Duff revert to left-back.

On 67 minutes, Sidwell replaced Kačaniklić, with Baird moving to left-back, before Mirallas fired a good chance wide after twisting past Mahamadou Diarra in the box. And Fellaini made it 2-1 to Everton on 71 minutes, chesting down a high ball in the box and firing past Schwarzer.

Fulham’s last throw of the dice saw Mladen Petric replace the booked Diarra on 75 minutes, with Brede Hangeland then heading over a good cross from Riether on the right.

Fellaini was denied a hat-trick by the post with seven minutes to go after his left-footed effort deflected off Hangeland and onto the woodwork, with substitute Steven Naismith’s follow-up cleared off the line by Baird. Fellaini then forced Schwarzer into a fine save with a stinging volley and the big Australian was also called upon to deny Naismith as Everton continued to press.

But just as the points looked like going the way of the visitors, Fulham snatched the draw. Riether’s low cross from the right was missed by Berbatov but Sidwell was there to beat Coleman to the ball and slot home at the fat post.