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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.