Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane on target as Everton sink Fulham

The onus is not only on Everton’s goal-shy strikers to turn promising play into points, David Moyes had insisted before Fulham’s visit. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” the Everton manager said. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged to deliver a deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. A brief flurry in the second half aside, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside too, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton striker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking, and missing, Gueye’s cross at the near post and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Michael Keane makes the points safe with Everton’s second goal. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines at the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. 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 found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the provider with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.