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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, 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 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.