Gueye and Michael Keane on target as Everton overcome Fulham

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team'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 second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, 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 validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.