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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out 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 needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position 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 overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.