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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 his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.