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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 strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry 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 ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.