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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out 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 reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed 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 the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored 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 ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.