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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye 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 forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford 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.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.