Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane find the net as Everton sink the Cottagers

The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.