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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring 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 Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned 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 linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.