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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed 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 over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached 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 upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.