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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.