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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed 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.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.