🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.