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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No one 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 big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod 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 evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.