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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set 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.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.