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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival 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 first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far 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 supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson 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 second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.