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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion 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 big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.