🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward 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 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game 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 shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall 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 a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.