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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck 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 occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.