With temperatures pitchside surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Chelsea’s quality and power ultimately proved too hot to handle for Everton.

Tony Hibbert has borne the brunt of criticism for a first-half display in which, having received a harsh early booking, the right-back was continually exposed by Florent Malouda before being replaced at half-time by Lars Jacobsen.

But Hibbert deserved better protection from his team-mates, Leon Osman in particular either not reminded or unable to track back and shadow either Malouda or the impressively overlapping Ashley Cole.

The likes of Tim Cahill, Joleon Lescott and Phil Neville also struggled to reach their usual levels and while Marouane Fellaini flitted in and out, only Leighton Baines, Louis Saha and Steven Pienaar approached anything like recent form.

It had all started so well, with Everton exploding out of the blocks to score the quickest goal in FA Cup final history.

Saha was preferred to Jack Rodwell in the starting line-up and justified the decision by taking just 25 seconds to unleash a tremendous left-foot shot past Petr Cech from 15 yards after Fellaini had capitalised on Jon Obi Mikel’s weak clearance.

Chelsea, though, passed their way back into the match and equalised in worryingly straightforward fashion on 21 minutes, Malouda for the umpteenth occasion allowed too much space to cross into the danger zone where Didier Drogba outmuscled Joleon Lescott to head powerfully beyond Tim Howard.

While Chelsea bossed the remainder of the first half, Everton, aided by some minor tactical tweaks, came back into the game after the break and Saha should have done better when sending a free header over from a Baines cross on 67 minutes.

Although not exactly a turning point, it was to prove Everton’s last real chance of lifting the Cup as five minutes later Lampard, having initially been knocked out of his stride by Neville, picked himself up off the floor to unleash an instant left-footed shot from 25 yards that Tim Howard’s fingertips could not keep out.

This sight of Lampard dancing around the corner flag was painful for those Evertonians who remember his father’s similar celebration in the FA Cup semi-final 29 years earlier.

And it could have been an even heavier loss, the officials failing to spot Malouda’s 25-yard shot had dropped behind the line before bouncing back into play after striking the underside of the crossbar, while referee Howard Webb generously adjudged Lampard to have deliberately dived over Pienaar’s outstretched leg inside the area.

But such a scoreline would have been harsh on Everton, who have now set an unenviable record by losing an eighth FA Cup final in their 13th appearance.

In the build-up to Saturday’s game, Moyes and his players were united in the defiant proclamation this is just the start for Everton.

The problem on the day was they didn’t get much further beyond that point. Now the Goodison outfit must ensure the same does not apply to the momentum they have so impressively built.