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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.