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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time 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 attacker 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light 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 early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. 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 a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.