Diomansy Kamara scored only his second brace for Fulham since arriving two seasons ago and his double strike may well secure European football for the Cottagers next season.
Anybody coming back late at half-time missed Kamara's low rocket that put Fulham in front for the second time.
But his sublime back-heel to guide the ball over the line just past the hour from Brede Hangeland's header had the home side toasting the player who has suffered a torrid time with injuries since he joined the club.
But it was Aston Villa who looked decidedly under the weather as they carved out few chances in what was still a cracking game.
Openings had already occurred out at both ends when Fulham won their early penalty on six minutes.
A slick one-two between Clint Dempsey and Danny Murphy on the edge of the Villa box saw the American just inch the ball into Kamara's path on the left.
The Fulham striker was about to pull the trigger from six yards when James Milner decided a shove in the back was the easiest way to stop him.
Murphy duly notched his fifth goal of the season by firing the spot-kick wide to Brad Friedel's right.
But his team's lead lasted less than eight minutes, even though Erik Nevland fired a fizzer no more than a coat of paint over the bar just before.
Milner made amends with a low cross from the right, but even the Villa winger couldn't believe his luck as the ball was allowed to drift past the entire Fulham defence and find Ashley Young gleefully accepting the gift at the back post.
Villa were soon on the back foot, however, when Zoltan Gera took a touch at the back post and fired high from eight yards to bring an instinctive hand from Friedel.
The Villa keeper had a more comfortable save from Dempsey's long-range drive, but there was no such comfort for Mark Schwarzer at the other end on 40 minutes.
Gabriel Agbonlahor took a rare opportunity to show his speed and burst from deep inside his own half to pull back a centre intended for Ashley Young, made sweeter by a Fulham foot deflecting the ball into his path.
But a point-blank stab against the base of the post was the best the Villa striker could do and the sighs of relief at the home end could be heard all over the ground.
Villa threw on both Emile Heskey and Nigel Reo-Coker to try and rescue the game, but Schwarzer won't get many easier days than this in the Fulham goal.