Gueye along with Michael Keane find the net as the Toffees defeat Fulham

David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’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 Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival 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 first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck 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 Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed 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 competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz 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 late on.