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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions 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 the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.