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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want 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 ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

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 Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting 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 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 set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.