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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues 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 reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’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 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez 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. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. 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 home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.