Even the determination Neil Mellor had to build on his prolific pre-season as well as put one over on his former Merseyside rivals couldn’t rattle the Everton back four. He even helped them out by blocking Richard Chaplow’s goal-bound drive.

But the tight-knit display at the back, helped in no small part by Neville’s influence and organisation, provided the manager with his biggest plus point of the evening.

Another one will have been the way that the youngsters – just as Lukas Jutkiewicz was with his double strike at Cambridge – were again keen to impress and this set the tone for the decisive first half.

Jose Baxter gave the most convincing audition early on when his curling free-kick bounced back off the crossbar after six minutes.

And just two minutes later he delivered an excellent corner from the right-hand side which needed only a glance off Jagielka’s forehead to make its way past Andrew Lonergan. But even the presence of Neville in place of John Irving couldn’t prevent Everton being exposed on the left side – as Cambridge had managed to do so often – and from here Callum Davidson found space to create a chance for Barry Nicholson which Turner did well to parry away.

Preston had responded well to going behind and it was Nicholson who again almost exposed Everton’s inability to cut down delivery from the flanks, this time meeting a ball from the right at the far post and heading just wide.

At this stage, it was perhaps little surprise the home side were on top in terms of possession, especially as their opponents were so generous with theirs.

Still, this didn’t stop Kieran Agard causing a few problems and, with a touch more composure, the threat he hinted at during his cameo at the weekend could have transferred into goals when he forced his way into promising positions in the penalty area on a couple of occasions.

But in the opening period the only Special One called Jose was Baxter.

Always eager for the ball and constantly inventive when he got it, not least when he saw off two markers and almost caught out Lonergan with a chip that drifted just wide.

But such youthful exuberance is merely a bonus for Moyes. In the absence of Johnson, he was even more short of senior attacking options so will have been pleased to see Andy van der Meyde finish off a surging run with a drive that Lonergan had to fingertip over the bar.

He will also have been encouraged by another appearance for Mikel Arteta, managing 10 minutes more than he did at the weekend as he continues those tentative steps towards a first team comeback.

One irritant Everton failed to shake off from Saturday, however, was the wastefulness in the final third and in front of goal as they attempted to add to their lead, especially when Gosling dragged his effort woefully wide when clean through.

But on this occasion it didn’t prove costly and the capitulation at Cambridge remains as mystifying as why so many PA announcers are obsessed with blasting out the nauseating ‘Chelsea Dagger’ by The Fratellis.

However, the familiarity of Preston was a fitting venue for Moyes to finally see a more familiar Everton emerge in his pre-season planning.