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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. 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.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye 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 effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. 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 the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.