Everton's Carabao Cup run came to a heartbreaking end against Fulham at the quarter-final stage, losing out 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
The visitors - who ended the first half without having registered a shot on target - opened the scoring in fortuitous circumstances, as Antonee Robinson's cross deflected off Michael Keane and into the net five minutes before the interval.
The Blues dominated proceedings for much of the contest, though, and finally got their reward eight minutes from the end when substitute Beto nodded home from close range to take the game to a penalty shootout.
Amadou Onana squandered a chance to seal Everton's place in the last four of the competition after Jordan Pickford had excellently saved from
But the Belgian's spot-kick was saved and when Idrissa Gana Gueye struck the base of the post with his effort, Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo stepped up and converted to seal victory for the Cottagers.
Sean Dyche made two changes from the side that started the impressive 2-0 win at Burnley last time out, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Gana recalled to the starting line-up having completed one-match suspensions.
Ben Godfrey dropped to the bench, while Abdoulaye Doucoure - who was withdrawn at half-time of the Turf Moor clash with a hamstring issue - missed out on the matchday squad.
It meant another formation tweak from Dyche, who praised his side's adaptability after an impressive away win over the Clarets, with Branthwaite shifted to left-back in a four-man defence.
After an even opening 10 minutes, the Blues began to take control of proceedings, frequently utilising the flanks in a bid to open the scoring.
The first presentable opportunity of the contest came 25 minutes in when Branthwaite found Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the left channel, with the Blues striker cutting the ball back for Dwight McNeil, who checked back on to his left foot before blazing over an acute angle.
A couple of minutes later the volume inside Goodison was cranked up a notch, as Everton pressed and harried Marco Silva's side to win back possession - but Branthwaite's floated cross from the left was overhit and the visitors survived.
Bernd Leno - who was named Player of the Match for a stunning display in the league meeting between the two sides earlier in the campaign - was forced into action on the half-hour mark, and the German goalkeeper was equal to Branthwaite's header after the stand-in full-back met Jack Harrison's in-swinging cross with a header.
Fulham had to wait until 40 minutes for their first attempt on goal and it came after Keane was - perhaps harshly - adjudged to have fouled Rodrigo Muniz as the pair battled to win a high ball.
Willian succeeded in his attempt to get the ball under the wall from the resulting free-kick - but it also flashed narrowly wide of Pickford's right-hand post.
The visitors broke the deadlock two minutes later, though, aided by a significant slice of fortune.
After breaking forward in numbers, former Everton youngster Robinson looked to pick out a cross which took a wicked deflection off Keane and into the back of the net.
Everton came within a whisker of restoring parity before half-time, however Garner's inviting free-kick from the left flank was agonisingly out of reach for James Tarkowski and Keane.
Despite trailing, the Toffees continued to control the flow of the game in the opening exchanges of the second half but continued to find a way through a stubborn Fulham defence.
Harrison was the next to threaten, unleashing a vicious 25-yard drive that flashed past the post with Leno diving at full stretch.
Dyche shuffled his pack in a bid to get back on level terms, introducing Beto on the hour and then Arnaut Danjuma 12 minutes later.
As time ebbed away, the never-say-die attitude instilled in Dyche's side was on full display again, as Beto levelled proceedings with eight minutes remaining.
Danjuma's cross from the left was scrambled clear only as far as Garner, who slipped as he went for goal and as the ball bounced up into the air, Beto was on hand to nod home from six yards out in from of the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street.
A breathless, end-to-end period of seven minutes of second-half stoppage time was played out without either side landing a fatal blow, meaning the tie would be settled with a penalty shootout.
Afer Beto, Dwight McNeil, Keane and Danjuma had all confidently dispatched for Everton from the spot, Pickford pulled off an excellent save to his left to deny Fulham substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid to set up a chance for Onana to win it.
But Leno held his nerve and stayed rooted to the spot to stop the Belgian's effort.
Tarkowski and Garner then successfully scored their penalties, before Gana struck the woodwork, allowing Adarabioyo to step up and steal it for Fulham.
Everton FC