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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. 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 the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely 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. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.