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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal 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 two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry 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 maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.