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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand 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 Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in 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. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.