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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

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