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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.