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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position 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 all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.