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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike 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 original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.