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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike 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 one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.