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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header 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 attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.