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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker 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 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery 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 second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.