Gueye and Michael Keane on target as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall 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 a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.