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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian 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 free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space 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 Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.