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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward 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 two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.