It has been difficult for David Moyes, the Everton manager, to keep his players’ minds off Wembley and focused on the here and now. So pity the public-address announcer who bellowed the “FA Cup finalists” on to the pitch on Saturday.

Everton’s fans have not stopped beaming since reaching only their second final in 14 years, and even wider smiles greeted the end of Liverpool’s title hopes moments before kick-off on Saturday. This, and the prospect of a second consecutive fifth-place finish, is about as good as it gets if you support Everton.

With only two matches in which to stake a claim for a place against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final, Louis Saha timed to perfection his first goals in more than two months. The forward arrived with a reputation for being inactive; either through injury, or an inability to truly dominate a match. And, while Saha has scored only seven times this season, his goals have proved important. His two goals on Saturday made it four against West Ham this season, to compliment match-winners against both Fulham and Middlesbrough.

Saha’s reward should be a starting place at Wembley, with Jô cup-tied, although Moyes said he felt that his forward had not always contributed enough and often made more of an impact as a substitute. “It’s coming together at last, I am fresh and my confidence is back,” Saha said.

The Frenchman tapped in Steven Pienaar’s cross to settle an entertaining, absorbing match that turned on Phil Dowd’s decision to apply the letter of the law, and not common sense, when the referee dismissed James Tomkins for clipping Tim Cahill as he squeezed into the penalty area.

Football strives for consistency in its referees, but what hope is there when the same official cannot deliver equality in the same game? Dowd failed even to talk to Phil Neville for a deliberate hack when Luís Boa Morte burst clear before Saha’s penalty.

Pienaar has sparkled in the absence of the injured Mikel Arteta, but Joleon Lescott and Joseph Yobo, who slid in the second goal, were a far from convincing central defensive partnership. Diego Tristán might have exploited the uncertainty had he been better able to time his run along the line, while there were chances for Carlton Cole and Boa Morte.

Defeat ended West Ham’s hopes of a European place, probably a blessing in disguise given the lack of depth in Gianfranco Zola’s squad. The Italian, who has done exceptionally well in his first season as manager, will take a couple of weeks to assess his side’s deficiencies. David Di Michele and Radoslav Kovac, who lashed home from 35 yards, are unlikely to have their loans extended, and Lucas Neill’s present financial demands are too great. Tristán, now slimmer and fitter, may remain. “I told the players it would be a pity not to end with a victory,” Zola said.

Everton (4-4-1-1): T Howard 6 — L Jacobsen 5, J Yobo 5, J Lescott 5, L Baines 5 — L Osman 6, P Neville 6, T Cahill 5 (sub: Jô, 80min), S Pienaar 7 — M Fellaini 6 (sub: J Rodwell, 69 6) — L Saha 6 (sub: J Vaughan, 80). Substitutes not used: C Nash, A Hibbert, S Castillo, D Gosling. Booked: Baines Next: Fulham (a).

West Ham United (4-4-1-1): R Green 6 — L Neill 5, J Tomkins 5, M Upson 6, H Ilunga 5 — L Boa Morte 5, R Kovac 6, M Noble 5 (sub: J Stanislas, 67 5), J Collison 5 — D Di Michele 5 (sub: J Spector, 46 4) — D Tristán 6 (sub: C Cole, 46 6). Substitutes not used: P Kurucz, W López, S Nsereko, J Payne. Booked: Spector, Boa Morte. Sent off: Tomkins. Next: Middlesbrough (h).

Referee: P Dowd Attendance: 38,501