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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.