A RED card, but no red faces. How David Moyes will hope attempts to bolster his squad before next week’s transfer deadline prove as straightforward as this European progression.

Everton eased into the group stages of the Europa League by comfortably sidestepping the danger of an unlikely Sigma Olomouc comeback last night.

While domestic matters have so far proven troublesome during the embryonic stages of the campaign, Europe has posed few such problems for the Goodison outfit.

It wasn’t an evening without concern, with Tony Hibbert’s seventh-minute dismissal and imminent Europa League suspension highlighting Everton’s lack of options at right-back.

The early sending-off made little impact on the outcome, though, Steven Pienaar’s well-taken strike two minutes before the break seemingly having earned Everton a deserved victory until an 80th-minute equaliser from Pavel Sultes.

And with Yakubu making a 14-minute return to senior action from the bench, the positives far outweighed the negatives for Moyes.

Early elimination from Europe badly affected Everton in 2005 and undermined their efforts for a brief period last season, but there was never any chance of another failure here.

The hard work, of course, was done in last week’s first leg when two goals apiece from Jack Rodwell and Louis Saha put Everton into a strong position flying out to the Czech Republic.