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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games 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 the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, 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, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat 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 promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked 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 midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.