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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 rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed 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 assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, 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 throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.