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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward 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 spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.