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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.