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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out 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 the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, 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 rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.