🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.