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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 the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders 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 combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.