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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.