Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane find the net as the Toffees sink Fulham

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

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 home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.