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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it 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 the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.