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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team 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 comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside 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 cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.