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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.