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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. 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 disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal 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 the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.