🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.