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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than 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 the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.