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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for 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 validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford 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.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.