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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.