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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.