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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.