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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross 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 attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.