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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.