Idrissa Gueye and Keane on target as Everton overcome the Cottagers

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 strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity 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 the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.