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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move 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 headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, 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.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.