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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out 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 the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross 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 failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set 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 Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. 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 relief inside the ground 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 challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.