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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.