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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header 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 attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported 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 runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.