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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves 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 ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward 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 spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator 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.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.