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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned 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 goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half 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 the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.