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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton 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 laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

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