Idrissa Gueye along with Michael Keane on target as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers
The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.
Everton’s second win in nine outings 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 contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.
No one needed a goal as much as 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.
Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.
Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.
The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.
Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.
The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.
Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.