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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. 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 introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.