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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. 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 occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton 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 glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.