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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out 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 reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back 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. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display 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.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.