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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance 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 the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.