🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider 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 handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.