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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely 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, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, 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 their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, 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 his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.