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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.