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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity 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 Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team 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 dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half 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 challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.