Gueye and Keane find the net as Everton overcome the Cottagers

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye 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 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 a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly 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. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.