Despite Jack Rodwell’s admirable efforts, the midfield lacked a pivotal driving force the like of which Marouane Fellaini has become in recent weeks and it resulted in an agonising lack of cutting edge in the final third.

Scott Parker was allowed too much room throughout, particularly when his back-heel teed up Collison for the opening goal in the 63rd minute, while Craig Bellamy fizzed about like the past week’s fireworks, shining every bit as brightly.

Freddie Sears also showed he is living up to the promise shown on his Goodison Park appearance in March, with only Tim Howard’s brilliance preventing him giving his side a deserved first half lead.

And given that it was the 18th- minute replacement for West Ham’s best defender, Matthew Upson, who gave the home side the lead, all the signs back north were pointing to a long journey home with no points to show for it.

But Everton overcame the adversity to prove that it’s not just Lescott getting back among the goals that draws the parallels with last season.

Moyes suggested everyone should forget last year’s Upton Park success, when his side plundered both Carling Cup and Premier League goods in a successful four-day raid on the East End.

But if that week in December can be held up as a symbol of all that was good about last winter’s season-defining unbeaten run, then there’s no reason why another victory at West Ham can’t be just as significant.

After all, it underlines the progress the team have made since the end of that harrowing transfer window a little more than two months ago, reflected in the fact that Everton have now lost just once since crashing out of the UEFA Cup in September.

It’s unlikely that Bellamy, Sears and the rest would have been kept at bay as diligently as they were if this game had been played back in August. But since then, the nerves have given way to nous and the embarrassing mistakes seem so far back in time, a historical DVD charting their infamous rise to prominence is probably being pressed in time for Christmas.

Phil Jagielka and Phil Neville are back to their commanding best, while Lescott will be far more encouraged by the return of his concentration and confidence than his goal touch.

But surely the most important aspect of last season currently working its way into the side is the belief. The belief that at 1-0 down, the game was not only not lost but was there for the winning, despite the fact that some, including Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta weren’t enjoying one of their better afternoons, albeit due to perfectly understandable circumstances.

Recent events, however, mean that hardly matters. Fellaini kicked off the current winning spell with a 90th-minute winner at Bolton and Saha headed the winner with three minutes left against Fulham to provide footnotes to unconvincing performances.

It’s the kind of refusal to give in and ability to produce class and quality at the right time that means Everton are now in their rightful place as European contenders once again. And the chances of them nowkeeping it up and building a similar launchpad to the one that fired up last season during November and December have to be good.

Moyes need no more convincing of this than looking at the strength of the squad he now has at his disposal. Fellaini, Yakubu and Steven Pienaar all missed the trip to West Ham yet there was still enough in reserve to close out the three points.

Small wonder then that the Scot singled out Victor Anichebe for praise, as his attitude and application on a rare start summed up the team’s levels of energy and enthusiasm that are key to maintaining a challenge over 90 minutes.

Anichebe had a largely frustrating day but his reward for the endeavour came when he built on the momentum gained by Lescott’s equaliser. His ball in from the right picked out Saha with five minutes left and he slid in what looked like the decisive goal with the help of a deflection.

Only for Saha to then plump up a cushion and make the victory even more comfortable with a rasping right-footed drive that left Robert Green as floored and stunned as the rest of us.

Moyes has always insisted that signing Saha was no gamble and he’s been proven overwhelmingly right in the past week.

And the way things are looking, keeping him in at the expense of Yakubu when the Nigerian recovers from his heel injury won’t be too much of a risk either.

So forget this tightening belts in the credit crunch nonsense – these are luxurious and highly profitable times indeed for the Everton manager.