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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame 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 the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly 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. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, 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 stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.