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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart 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 offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.