Everton Record Excellent Comeback Win At Fulham

Everton's superb away record continued with a memorable 2-1 comeback victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

An agonisingly unfortunate own goal – Jordan Pickford palming the ball on to Vitalii Mykolenko – gave the hosts a half-time lead.

Only the Premier League's top three teams had won more home games than Fulham heading into this one, but the Blues responded in excellent fashion in the second period, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sweeping home an equaliser.

Another own goal settled it seven minutes from the end when Bernd Leno could only punch Dewsbury-Hall's corner into the back of his own net, a just reward for a 2,700-strong travelling army of Evertonians in west London.

FIRST HALF

David Moyes made one change from the side that drew 1-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, with Jarrad Branthwaite – who Moyes revealed in Friday's pre-match press conference he will "look after" following his return from a long-term hamstring injury – making way for fit-again Mykolenko. January transfer deadline day recruit Tyrique George was named on the bench.

After a highly-controversial yellow card for celebrating a last-gasp equaliser in the previous weekend's draw with the Seagulls led to a touchline ban, Moyes watched on from high up in Craven Cottage's Main Stand as his side – playing in all-royal blue – made a positive start in the capital.

Academy graduate Harrison Armstrong, making his sixth consecutive start after being recalled early from a loan spell at Championship side Preston North End, was brought down near the corner flag and James Garner's cheeky attempt from the resulting free-kick was palmed behind for the first corner of the contest.

Garner's in-swinging delivery from that set-piece was met at the far post with a towering header from Jake O'Brien that struck the stanchion before the hosts scrambled clear. A delayed offside flag was then raised against Thierno Barry, who may or may not have been interfering with Bernd Leno's view.

But it would be the Cottagers who would grab the opening goal, painfully, on 18 minutes.

The ever-lively Samuel Chukwueze lifted the ball into the penalty area from the left flank and as Michael Keane snuffed out former teammate Alex Iwobi, the ball fell kindly for Ryan Sessegnon, who squared for Raul Jimenez. The Mexican's close-range shot was superbly saved by Jordan Pickford, but the Blues' shot-stopper parried the ball on to the sliding Mykolenko in front of him and the ball squirmed into the corner of the net.

That saw momentum swing firmly in Fulham's favour and Pickford was on hand with a smart save to deny Marco Silva's side from doubling their lead a minute later, clawing Chukwueze's shot behind for a corner after another delivery from the left flank.

Emile Smith Rowe then rattled the crossbar with a 20-yard effort after the ball had fell into his path following a tackle from Garner.

The Toffees fired a couple of warning shots of their own in response.

First, Armstrong won possession cleverly deep inside Everton territory before finding Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who played in Barry down the left channel. The France Under-21 international did well to hold off a challenge before seeing his shot from an acute angle blocked by Joachim Andersen at the expense of a corner.

That resulting Garner delivery was punched by Leno, only as far as Dewsbury-Hall, who pulled his shot narrowly wide from just outside the penalty area.

Fulham then spurned a golden opportunity to extend their lead. Chukwueze seized on a hesitation by O'Brien to pinch possession before squaring for Jimenez, who spun inside the penalty area as he received the pass before dragging a low shot wide of the post.

Iliman Ndiaye and Armstrong switched flanks around the half-hour mark and it almost immediately paid dividends. The former was involved in finding Dewsbury-Hall, who subsequently danced past his marker and dug out a cross which was helped on its way by Fulham defender Jorge Cuenca. Falling into the path of Armstrong, the 19-year-old took one touch to control an awkward bounce and another to strike just wide of Leno's right-hand post with the German shot-stopper rooted to the spot.

Fulham ended the first period with a pair of presentable chances of their own but Pickford reacted excellently to save at the feet of Smith Rowe following a defence-splitting pass from Chukwueze, before Chukwueze saw a 25-yard, left-footed thunderbolt graze the crossbar on its way over following a half-cleared corner.

SECOND HALF

The Toffees once again started the brighter of the two sides after the interval, only this time, they sustained it.

Dewsbury-Hall's clever low pass to Keane looked promising but the usually-clinical defender couldn't rearrange his feet in time to get enough on his left-footed shot to trouble Leno.

Jake O'Brien's cross from the right then fell agonisingly out of Barry's reach and the Blues' No.11 then narrowly headed wide from another inviting Garner corner minutes later.

The game past the hour mark before Fulham created a second-half attack of note and when they did, Mykolenko was on hand to quell the danger from near the goal-line when Jimenez looked destined to convert Chukwueze's dangerous low centre.

But Everton remained in the ascendancy and pressed their opponents higher and higher up the pitch with success as the home crowd started to grow restless.

With a touch more than 20 minutes left on the clock, Moyes introduced George for his Everton debut, as well as Beto – last weekend's hero at Brighton.

The leveller soon followed. Mykolenko found himself with time inside the penalty area and neatly squared for Dewbsury-Hall, who made no mistake in slotting home to cause pandemonium amongst the travelling Evertonians behind the goal.

Buoyed by that peerless away support, the Toffees went in search for more and George threatened with a venomous shot that whistled over the crossbar after a clever one-two with Idrissa Gana Gueye.

The decisive blow was landed on 83 minutes, as Dewsbury-Hall turned provider, with his in-swinging corner punched into his own net by Leno, who was put under pressure by O'Brien.

Seven minutes of second-half stoppage time concluded the contest but Moyes' men held out in typically resolute fashion to notch yet another day to remember on the road.