Perhaps the defeat to Arsenal was the freak result supporters had hoped; certainly, things would have been different had Moyes’s side performed like this at the weekend.

Goalscorers Rodwell and Saha were the only changes from Saturday, not so much a strong show of faith in his players to make amends for that disappointment but evidence of how few other options are available to Moyes.

The Goodison manager had bemoaned a lack of competition for places in the build-up to the game, and a glance at the bench – where the seven players had a combined total of only 30 Everton starts between them – strengthened his case.

Sigma had in fact started the brighter, and there were clear claims for a penalty in the seventh minute when Jakub Petr tumbled over the outstretched arms of Tim Howard.

Moyes later admitted his side had been fortunate to escape, but Everton have maybe been due some rub of the green.

Moments later, the only thing Michal Hubrik was awarded was a yellow card for diving after too heavy a touch when knocking the ball around Howard after running in behind the Everton defence.

The American goalkeeper then leapt to his right to turn behind a well-struck Michal Ordos drive but the momentum soon shifted towards the home team.

Leon Osman’s deflected shot from 20 yards was tipped over by Sigma goalkeeper Petr Drobisz before Saha put Everton ahead on 34 minutes, stabbing the ball home at the near post ahead of Drobisz after Fellaini’s persistence worked a crossing position from the right.

Six minutes later the lead was doubled. Leighton Baines fired a free-kick into the Sigma wall, but Rodwell returned the rebound with interest, thumping home a magnificent 20-yard shot with his left foot.

The visitors remained a sporadic threat, though, and Hubnik was close to connecting with a dangerous low cross from raiding left-back Ladislav Onofrej.

If Rodwell’s first goal was good, his second nine minutes after the interval was even better, thrashing a loose ball in off the crossbar with his right foot from 25 yards.

Quite a way for Everton to rack up their 8,000th goal in first-team matches.

Sigma had no answer, Moyes’s men vibrant. Drobisz saved magnificently after Osman capitalised on a poor Onofrej clearance, but could do nothing to prevent Saha netting his second with a low drive that arrowed into the bottom corner with 16 minutes remaining.

With next Thursday’s second leg a formality, Everton supporters can now start planning for three more European jaunts.

And while Lescott may not play in Europe this season, Rodwell certainly will.