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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player 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 Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper 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 the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.