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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass 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 Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford 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 Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt 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. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.