Idrissa Gueye and Keane on target as the Toffees sink the Cottagers

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy 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 supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.