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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator 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 rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.