Gueye along with Keane find the net as the Toffees defeat the Cottagers

David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually 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 minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.