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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.