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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.