🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.