EVEN by the standards of Everton’s recent misfortune, the weekend proved new territory.

Never before has David Moyes been slapped quite so firmly by a Goodison Park injury crisis, so much so not an ounce of Premier League experience graced the home bench.

For the fans crying out for fresh investment, Saturday’s team sheet will now prove their most compelling piece of evidence and even for those less inclined for boardroom upheaval, it will have nevertheless been a sobering sight .

But as much as the Finch Farm medical table being oversubscribed is commonplace these days, so too is Everton’s ability to back adversity into a corner.

And yet as Aston Villa boasted a matchday squad brimming with internationals, it is Gerard Houllier who continues to fight off threats of relegation this morning, not David Moyes.

That work of the manager means the royal blue men find themselves in the comfortable void left by safety and European qualification being a stretch too far, so thoughts could understandably be turning to next season.

And while images of those players sat next to Moyes on the sidelines will have heightened hopes for a more vibrant next term, Saturday’s fightback from injustice shows Everton are far from willing to let this season drift into apathy.

Moyes’ men were close to being mightily wronged when Jermaine Beckford’s effort was ruled not to have crossed the line midway through the second half only for Darren Bent to rub salt into the wound by putting Villa ahead within 60 seconds of the confusion.

Television replays confirmed the instinct of Moyes and his players – that having struck the bar, Beckford’s shot went in – but fairness prevailed in the end as Phil Jagielka won a penalty which Leighton Baines fired home with seven minutes remaining.

It was quite the stirring second half, one full of incident and endeavour from both sides in the late afternoon sun and lit up in flashes by the league debuts of Magaye Gueye and, to a lesser extent, Apostolos Vellios.