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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.