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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye 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 more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly 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 minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.