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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton attacker 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 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.