Gueye and Keane find the net as Everton overcome Fulham

David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.