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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down 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 sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.