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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity 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 pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.