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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus 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. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.