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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.