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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed 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 the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. 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 the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.