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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit 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 stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as 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 big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed 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 identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. 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 handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.