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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.