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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, 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 one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.