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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling 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 sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.