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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings 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 Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. 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 the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.