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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish 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 as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy 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 on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners 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 visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.