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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position 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 Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.