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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, 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 the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.