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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.