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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, 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 sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.