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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated 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 contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings 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 the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.