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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one 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 a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball 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 mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.