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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging 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. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.