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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, 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 player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position 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 the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so 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 the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.