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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in 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. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.