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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. 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 the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box 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 Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.