Gueye along with Keane find the net as Everton sink the Cottagers

David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.