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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, 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 over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.