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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.