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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish 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 player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball 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 fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.