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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.