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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time 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 testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.