Gueye along with Keane on target as Everton overcome the Cottagers

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring 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 the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, 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 thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. 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 the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space 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 midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.