🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish 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 one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss 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 turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking 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 overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.