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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.