🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.