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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 centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location 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 Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.