🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team 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 past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.