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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, 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 player was more in need of scoring 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 the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions 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 denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.