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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton 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 clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic 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 substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for 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 all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders 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. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery 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 by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.