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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’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 forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime 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.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.