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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display 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.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.