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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one 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 testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.