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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.