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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort 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 former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.