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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into 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 offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.