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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper 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 again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.