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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park 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 Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. 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 the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.