David Moyes addressed the press after Everton's superb 2-1 win at Fulham
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was instrumental in Everton's comeback
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was instrumental in Everton's comeback(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall delivered on a training ground promise to David Moyes as he helped Everton to a comeback win at Fulham.
The attacking midfielder missed a glorious chance at Brighton last week, firing too close to Bart Verbruggen’s body when he was teed up by Thierno Barry. The 27-year-old vowed he would not miss such an opportunity again when speaking to David Moyes in midweek.
And he was true to his word at Craven Cottage - this time finishing from inside the box to give Everton the platform for what became another impressive away win.
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The Blues had trailed after Vitalii Mykolenko’s unfortunate own goal in the first half. Jordan Pickford had done well to push away Raul Jimenez’s strike only to see the ball rebound past him off the body of his left back.
That goal was the catalyst for a Fulham onslaught in which Pickford made two important saves and both Emile Smith Rowe and Samuel Chukwueze hit the woodwork. Everton survived, however, and led by Dewsbury-Hall - whose corner was punched into his own net by Bernd Leno for the match winner - they fought back to a 2-1 win.
It was another important display from Dewsbury-Hall, who had been in fine form before suffering a hamstring injury at Chelsea in December. After the match, Moyes said: “He's given us a different level as a football player. He's been so, so good. And I don't think he is quite there [fully fit], he is just about there from where he's been, he has played 90 minutes or so today. He's returning from a hamstring injury he picked up at Stanford Bridge so he is really just getting back to it. He missed a great chance at Brighton last week, and his goal today is very, very similar. And he did say to me during the week, he said: ‘If I get another one like that I won’t miss it.’
Moyes celebrated the win from the stands as he served a touchline ban following his yellow card at Brighton last week. After the match, he conceded Fulham had been the better team in the first half but questioned how emphatic that dominance had been.
He said: “I didn’t think we played well but I didn't think we were [that] bad. We kept the ball quite well for the opening 10 minutes and then we did a couple of things which were wrong. Let’s be fair, the goal was really unlucky. It was a brilliant save by the goalkeeper and he pushes it onto Myko, so it was a bit of a misfortune.
“I don't disagree that Fulham were probably the better team in the first half but I don't think they were that far in front of us. We did well to make sure it was only 1-0 half time. Then I thought we played much better in the second half.”