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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. 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 occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson 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 creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.