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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival 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 earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging 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 two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner 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 carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.