Sometimes the writing is on the wall, sometimes the answers are on the bench. Sadly for Felix Magath, the word was farce and for Roberto Martinez there was Steven Naismith, hiding a match-winning performance under his tracksuit in the dug-out.

In two moments this match turned and with it, quite probably, went Fulham’s place in the Barclays Premier League.

They deserved better, not so much in the context of their campaign, because tables do not tell those sorts of fibs. But they did in this game, having dominated the first half.

Then came the first of Martinez’s three wonderful substitutions, bringing on Naismith for Ross Barkley during the break, and what followed was a passage of play that left David Stockdale in a cold sweat.

Fulham’s goalkeeper had played a good game and would continue to do so. But in the 50th minute it all went so horribly and comically wrong.

Leighton Baines’s corner had found Naismith on the edge of the area and he hit a volley which pinballed off William Kvist and Gareth Barry before striking Stockdale’s shin and bouncing into his own net. It was harsh and yet strangely appropriate for this team’s calamitous season.

Until then, Fulham had been the better side. Thereafter, despite Ashkan Dejagah’s brilliant equaliser, it was always going to be a tough ask. Fulham don’t recover from deficits and Everton have won 15 of the 16 games in which they have scored first.

So, true to the numbers, Everton romped away with it. Kevin Mirallas scored after coming on as a substitute and Naismith added a late third. For good measure, Aiden McGeady, Everton’s third substitute, played the delightful pass that created Mirallas’s goal.

No wonder Martinez was full of smiles afterwards, even if his voice had gone. He has proved himself a shrewd changer of games, while his side have shown they can recover from poor starts and adapt when key men such as Barkley are forced off, as he was here with a minor calf problem.

They have now won five in a row, a streak that has not been managed by an Everton side since 2002. Martinez was even talking about ‘miracles’ last night, though that might be overstating matters when the table shows that wins in the next seven games will see Everton into the Champions League.

That run, rather conveniently, starts with Arsenal on Sunday, but Martinez, the great escaper of Wigan, is looking at the last day of the season again.

Speaking before Tottenham’s demolition at Anfield, he said: ‘Spurs are still fighting and Manchester United won’t give up fighting. You have still got seven teams fighting for the four positions, so I do think it will go down to the end.

‘Of course, Wigan gives me confidence. The intensity of every game is important and it’s the same – it doesn’t matter if you are fighting to avoid relegation, win a title or finish in the top four.

‘I wouldn’t say miracle, but football miracles happen.

‘We admire Arsenal because they get in the Champions League consistently. They have developed a real understanding of what to do in these games, so that makes Sunday a phenomenal challenge.

‘Every game in this division is going to be down to small margins and it will go to the last game of the season. So if Arsenal are looking over their shoulders it is a great compliment for us, but believe me we are looking over our shoulders as well at Spurs and Manchester United.’

Suffice to say, those two are growing smaller in the rearview mirror. And so are Fulham.

Magath is keeping the faith. His side are now five points from safety with only six to play, but he said: ‘I know that we can still make it. Of course, this was against one of the best teams at the moment, who may go on to take fourth place in the league.

‘It was a game today where there was no team who should get relegated. We played better and if we can do it against Everton we can do it again.

‘I knew that it was a difficult situation, and I know that maybe if it doesn’t work as we hoped, sure I am ready to stay here in the Championship and go up.

That is looking like as much as a certainty as you get in football. But the sorry truth for Fulham is that this is a game they might have won. A sorrier fact is that Stockdale’s own goal meant only three of Sunday ‘s starters have scored more than him in the league this season.

Perhaps that is cruel, but it is also indicative of the problems that wrecked their performance yesterday and have undermined Fulham’s season as a whole.

They blitzed the first half, Kieran Richardson going clean through, while Lewis Holtby drew a fingertip save and John Arne Riise twice missed the target. There was also a glorious chance for Moussa Dembele but the 17-year-old striker, who was preferred to Darren Bent, shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Everton went ahead shortly after the break, Dejagah levelled with a wonderful strike from distance, but two substitutes wrapped it up for Everton.

Magath walked off, head down. Martinez was all smiles. The writing is on the wall, quite possibly for both teams.

— Daily Mail