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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder 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 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 £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, 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 be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.