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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.