Nevertheless, the indifferent form of the teams above them and an unimposing fixture schedule means it would be foolish to write off hopes of claiming a top-seven place that would almost certainly ensure another Europa League campaign.

But with only nine games remaining, Everton do not have much margin for error.

Victory over Hull had been so emphatic that Moyes later admitted to losing count of the score, which would have been even greater but for a glut of missed chances from Yakubu, the most glaring of which came from the penalty spot.

The Nigerian has struggled to rediscover his form this season since returning from a serious Achilles problem, although Moyes moved after last week’s game to reassure the goals would flow soon enough.

Indeed, Yakubu had to wait only until midway through the first half on Saturday to justify his manager’s faith, the striker holding off Roger Johnson to head in Steven Pienaar’s inviting cross from the right after an incisive Mikel Arteta pass.

The goal strengthened Everton’s grip on the game after Victor Anichebe’s stunning opener three minutes earlier, a lengthy passing move ending with the forward accepting the ball from Phil Neville, turning away from marker Liam Ridgewell and then blasting a left-footed shot beyond Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart from 16 yards.

It was Anichebe’s first strike since September 2008 and further evidence that he too is regaining his sharpness after a lengthy injury-enforced absence.

With the busy Hart having already saved superbly from the roaming Pienaar and Tim Cahill, a completely dominant Everton – for whom Arteta was pulling the strings again in midfield – seemed primed to rack up another comprehensive triumph.

However, sloppy defending gave Birmingham a lifeline when, after Keith Fahey fed a cross into the box from the left wing, Phil Jagielka gave Cameron Jerome too much space to gain the slightest of touches on to the ball and divert it past Tim Howard.

A rare slip from an otherwise encouraging display from Jagielka, it was enough to hand the initiative to the home side and they levelled with a route-one goal seven minutes after the interval, Hart’s long goal-kick was flicked on by Jerome into the path of Craig Gardner whose first-time shot from 20 yards skimmed into the bottom left corner of Howard’s goal.

After that, an entertaining encounter became a more nervy affair. Everton were the more threatening but, apart from a Cahill shot down Hart’s throat, Birmingham’s defence was rarely tested.

“The team are doing really well but we should have had all three points,” added Moyes.

“It wasn’t to be and credit to Birmingham for fighting back.

“We feel as if we had done enough to score some more goals but the keeper made some good saves.”

As the kit man so succinctly put it, this was a chanced missed.

There won’t be many more this season.