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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.