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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.