Idrissa Gueye and Keane find the net as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only 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 well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder 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 Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected 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 deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.