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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, 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 earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.