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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton 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 fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. 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 dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.