🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security 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 the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.