🔗 Share this article

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games 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 headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.