🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.