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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as 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 £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice 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 came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.