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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position 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 glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.