As anniversaries go, David Moyes’ seventh as Everton manager yesterday began and ended with the bang that such occasions warrant.

In between, though, Stoke City, the Premier League’s worst travellers, deserved somewhat more than another barren afternoon and re-entry into the relegation slots.

Both teams started as they hoped to continue. With the twinkle-toed Steven Pienaar a roving ambassador for all their aesthetically appealing approach play, Everton set about passing themselves to three points. Indeed, they might have eased ahead in the first five minutes, but a superb last-ditch tackle from Ryan Shawcross foiled Pienaar.

In contrast, Stoke went to Merseyside with just four away points to their name. They massed their defensive ranks and hoped to depart with five.

Alas, such finely tuned plans are dependent on an unyielding rearguard. After 20 minutes Marouane Fellaini threaded a sweet reverse pass between the dithering Andy Wilkinson and Shawcross. Jo collected and shot weakly at Thomas Sorensen, but the Dane let the ball squirm under him and into goal.

With Stoke’s gameplan in tatters, soon, inevitably, it was two. Enjoying the freedom of the right side of Goodison Park, Leon Osman crossed deep. Tim Cahill’s header drew an unconvincing parry from Sorensen. Centre-half Joleon Lescott bundled home and Everton seemed unstoppable.

“I was desperately disappointed with the first half,” admitted visiting manager Tony Pulis. “You can’t go to clubs like Everton and sit back and do nothing.”

But shortly after the break, Stoke pulled one back. Liam Lawrence floated over a corner and with the home defence static, Shawcross headed neatly into the far corner. Game on? So it proved.

Hitherto limp, Stoke were suddenly tumescent. Moyes admitted “complacency crept in”, and his side pressed the panic button. Shawcross was a bootlace away from turning a corner past Tim Howard, and Salif Diao’s goalbound rocket was deflected inches wide, but when Glenn Whelan whistled another long-ranger wide, you sensed Stoke’s moment had passed.

With Stoke exhausted, Leighton Baines slung over a deep cross from the left, which Fellaini caught on his instep to bamboozle Shawcross before shooting past Sorensen, albeit with the aid of a massive Faye deflection.

Star man: Steven Pienaar (Everton).

Yellow card: Stoke: Lawrence.

Referee: A Marriner

Attendance: 36,396

Everton: Howard 6, Jagielka 6, Yobo 6, Lescott 6, Baines 6, Osman 7, Neville 6, Cahill 7 (Saha 46min, 5), Fellaini 6, Pienaar 8, Jo 6 (Rodwell 85min).

Stoke City: Sorensen 4, Wilkinson 5, Shawcross 7, Abdoulaye Faye 6, Higginbotham 5, Lawrence 7 (Camara 80min), Diao 7, Whelan 6, Delap 6 (Etherington 68), Beattie 5, Sidibe 5 (Fuller 53min, 6).