But for Glenn Roeder, still on probation in the eyes of many uneasy West Ham fans, this was a disaster. Smith will now sleep easily, but Roeder will have nightmares after this.

His team lacked spirit and organisation and were a shambles, particularly at the back where Rigobert Song and Christian Dailly were torn apart.

Everton did not score until first-half injury-time but after the break West Ham caved in. Paul Gascoigne limped off after just four minutes but it did not matter as Everton ran riot.

Thomas Gravesen, Gazza’s replacement Mark Pembridge, and Niclas Alexandersson were all outstanding as the supposed talents of Paulo Di Canio, Michael Carrick and Frederic Kanoute were almost totally blanked out.

Worries about the quality of Song’s defending were all too evident right from the start when he failed to deal with a dropping ball after just 60 seconds, forcing Shaka Hislop to save at Kevin Campbell’s feet.

Everton even overcame the loss of Gascoigne. Along with David Weir, the 34 year-old was involved in a tackle on Kanoute, all three players ending up on the floor.

But Gascoigne needed lengthy treatment before being helped to the line. He clearly did not want to come off and made his way half-way round the pitch back to the dug-out, testing out his right knee on the way, before finally accepting advice to stay off.

He was clearly frustrated and annoyed as he went down the tunnel, Pembridge taking over and having a stormer in his first game back after long-term injury.

West Ham, when they rarely got their act together, had spells of controlled possession and Di Canio, playing his 100th game for the Hammers, saw one 20-yarder fizz over the crossbar.

One superb sweeping move showed what the Hammers were capable of but that sort of play was all too infrequent from them.

Di Canio, Sebastian Schemmel and Trevor Sinclair, all at blinding pace, tore a giant hole in Everton’s defence down the right. When Schemmel’s cross pinged into the six-yard box Di Canio hit it first time and cleared the far post by inches.

But seconds before the break Alexandersson, who had been causing the veteran Nigel Winterburn plenty of trouble, got yet another ball in from the right and Campbell rose to power a header past Hislop from six yards.

Radzinski almost made it 2-0 after 49 minutes after Campbell had flicked on a clearance from keeper Paul Gerrard.

The little striker scampered clear but could only push his shot wide of a post when he really should have done better.

But there was a second on 52 minutes and it was a shocking calamity for West Ham. Winterburn was penalised for a foul on Alexandersson.

Pembridge’s free-kick curled into the six-yard box and somehow Hutchison managed to get in the way of Hislop and the ball bounced into the net off the former Everton midfielder.

Hutchison was sent off at Goodison Park last season when he returned with Sunderland so it is hardly a happy place for him.

And it got worse for the Hammers after 56 minutes. Gravesen was allowed to run from 40 yards with a defence retreating and with no tackle he motored on into the penalty to fire across Hislop and into the bottom corner.

Winterburn, who was being overun by Alexandersson, was finally spared any more humiliation when Norwegian youngster Raga Soma replaced him.

West Ham were constantly being caught in possession, none more so than Carrick, who just does not seem to like the physical side of the game.

Carrick again lost possession after 65 minutes and it was the industrious Gravesen who out-battled him. The Dane then turned to lash a 30-yarder that Hislop needed to tip over the crossbar at full stretch.

West Ham’s shambolic defending was punished further when full-back Steve Watson got down the line, had one shot saved by Hislop but was then allowed to regain possession to fire in from a couple of yards after 75 minutes.

Three minutes later Everton struck again. Radzinski robbed Christian Dailly, was forced wide but still managed to turn and fire a fine shot back into the far corner for the fifth.