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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park 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 Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert 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 attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.