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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian 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 not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put 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 chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.