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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted 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 a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.