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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder 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 just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached 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 corner that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.