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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune 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 wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.