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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham 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 away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.