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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit 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 insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal 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 spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.