Osman has never been the most heralded of Moyes’s personnel, but his tenacious character and under-estimated attacking threat became notable in its absence.

And it was similarly encouraging to see James Vaughan given a late cameo from the bench, a first Everton appearance for the injury-jinxed striker since August.

Birmingham should have been the perfect opposition for Everton to register a much-needed home triumph, the Goodison outfit having lost just three of the last 47 meetings between the teams and not on home soil since November 1957.

The Midlanders, however, are the Premier League’s form team and were defending an eight-game unbeaten run of which the last five had been won.

But it took a rejuvenated Everton only five minutes to find their way through the visitors’ defence and set the tone for a largely one-sided first half.

It was a good goal, too, Saha using his chest to divert Tony Hibbert’s throw into the path of Bilyaletdinov, with the Russian taking the ball in his stride and then lashing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Everton’s lead should have been doubled five minutes later when Saha finished clinically past Hart after being sent clear by Tim Cahill, only for the Frenchman to be denied by the assistant referee’s flag – a wrong decision, given the evidence of the television replays.

Not that anyone was overly perturbed by the mistake at the time, Everton’s utter dominance of the early stages suggesting a second goal was a mere formality.

The lively Pienaar, buzzing with intent throughout, found Cahill who unleashed a venomous shot that flashed just inches over the flailing Hart’s crossbar, and John Heitinga swiped wide as the home side continued to press.

They came close again on 17 minutes, Birmingham’s defence first blocking an Osman shot after a right-wing cross from the raiding Hibbert deflected into the path of the midfielder before breathing a sigh of relief when Cahill then headed narrowly off target.

So it was with some surprise that Birmingham drew level midway through the half. The equaliser owed much to the patience of Christian Benitez, the Ecuadorian allowed to hold up play inside the Everton area before passing inside for Larsson to sidefoot first-time into the bottom corner beyond the reach of the previously unemployed Tim Howard.

The goal lifted the visitors and knocked much of the wind out of Everton’s sails.

Everton, though, began to impose themselves again after the interval, a stretching Cahill close to gaining a full connection with his head to an inviting Baines cross from the left.

On the hour, Marouane Fellaini did well in a tight area to dig out a deep cross from the byline that was knocked back into the danger zone by the tireless Baines into the path of Cahill, whose effort was blocked on the line by Roger Johnson.

Moyes threw on Yakubu for Bilyaletdinov to partner Saha up front, but despite cranking up the pressure, Everton struggled to fashion clear-cut openings.

There were muted calls for a penalty five minutes from time when Stephen Carr appeared to bat away a Lucas Neill long pass from the top of Saha’s head, but after Hart smothered the Frenchman’s intended pass for Yakubu, with it went Everton’s last real chance of an equaliser.

While a Boxing Day trip to Sunderland is the more pressing appointment, the next visitors to Goodison are Burnley, who have taken just one point in nine away games this season. Failure then is surely unthinkable.