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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, 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 the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.