Idrissa Gueye and Keane find the net as Everton overcome Fulham

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.