🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback 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 £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 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for 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 overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with 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 architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.