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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player 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 spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.