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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break 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 Thierno Barry, the Everton forward 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages 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. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

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

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.