🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion 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 gone 10 Premier League outings 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 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck 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 wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground 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. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.