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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, 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 the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. 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 dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.