Such an outcome seemed extremely unlikely when, with the magnificent Ryan Giggs pulling the strings in central midfield, Everton paid United so much respect before the break that it would have been no surprise to find Moyes’s men serving the half-time tea and oranges to the visitors.

Only a clutch of fine saves from Tim Howard prevented United from adding to Darren Fletcher’s well-worked 22nd-minute opener and Everton staring another demoralising defeat in the face.

In truth, it wasn’t the words of the manager, the masseur or anyone else in the dressing room that jolted Everton into a fightback.

Thanks for that go to Cristiano Ronaldo for his reaction after being on the receiving end of a feisty tackle from Neville in the 58th minute.

The Everton captain won the ball and, while admittedly going in hard on the Portuguese whinger, there was no call for the United man to flail in agony as if he’d only just heard Real Madrid were no longer interested in signing him.

United, though, were incensed. Ryan Giggs jabbed his finger angrily at his former team-mate and Rio Ferdinand raced 50 yards to remonstrate to referee Alan Wiley, who, in keeping with his lamentable performance, then made the wrong decision to book Neville.

All of this served to destabilise United, waken the previously slumberous Goodison crowd and rile the home team into a response. The hunger, desire and fight that was so lacking in the first half – and for too much of the campaign – suddenly came to the fore, and in an instant the Everton of last season was revived.

Ferdinand in particular suffered as a consequence, completely missing his kick on the halfway line to allow Yakubu to race clear down the left and set in motion a sequence of events that ultimately led to Neville crossing for Marouane Fellaini to head home Everton’s 63rd-minute equaliser.

The United centre-back’s inexplicably underhit backpass then allowed Yakubu in moments later for a shot that Edwin van der Sar turned on to the post, the closest either team came to a winner. Indeed, as Ferguson later admitted, it was United who were hanging on at the end.

Fellaini’s goal came at a critical time for both player and team. Up until then, the Belgian appeared bewildered by what was transpiring around him, very much the 20-year-old dumped in a foreign country and a foreign league after a whirlwind transfer.

But, following his second strike in as many home games, Fellaini grew in stature and began to show glimpses of his potential. The club record buy will be indulged to a point, but Moyes will no doubt implore the midfielder to build on his confidence-boosting intervention.

A lack of clean sheets is an ongoing concern – it’s now 17 games since the last shut-out – and Joleon Lescott and the recalled Joseph Yobo have yet to replicate their form of recent seasons.

That hasn’t been a problem for Phil Jagielka, who followed his efforts at the Emirates with another impressive display to frustrate Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney, the latter substituted 20 minutes from time after agitating the home fans with a bout of tedious badge-kissing.

Moyes’s decision to partner former Old Trafford striker Louis Saha with Yakubu initially weakened the home team’s midfield and allowed United time and space to control proceedings.

That was until Everton rediscovered their mojo, and by harrying the visitors out of possession and pressing further up the field, the space was made for Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar to exploit with the strikers stretching the United defence before tiring late on.

This is what Moyes’s side were all about last season. So why has it taken this long for it to happen this time around?

Certainly, Everton must now prove Saturday’s second-half showing is now the rule rather than the exception, but they have at least given themselves a platform from which to build.

Another blood and thunder encounter at Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday is the ideal gauge of whether Everton have truly regained their appetite for a fight – without the need for any backroom reminders.