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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club'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 subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so 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 following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.