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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side 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 earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.