🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.