Idrissa Gueye and Keane on target as the Toffees sink the Cottagers

David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down 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 midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker 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 defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder 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 rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.