Idrissa Gueye along with Michael Keane find the net as Everton sink Fulham

The Everton manager had stressed 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 centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.