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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out 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 comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. 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 the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute 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 the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.