🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, 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 clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed 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 Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.