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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far 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 failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient 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 scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.