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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out 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 reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games 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 youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross 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 failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.