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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only 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 duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward 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 Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian 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 fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.