Four goals in the last 14 minutes gave Everton a flattering 6-1 victory over Wigan Athletic with striker Kevin Campbell netting a fine hat-trick.  Campbell's goals - all close range efforts - came after Wigan had taken an early lead through Hungarian trialist Gabor Bukran's low drive from the edge of the penalty area. 

Andy Liddell should have increased the lead on two occasions before Campbell equalised from an offside-looking position on the half-time whistle.  Although Wigan were very much in the game in the opening 45 minutes, the second half was all one-way traffic - starting when Campbell put The Blues ahead on 52 minutes by taking advantage of a bad backpass to walk the ball round Derek Stillie into the back of the net. 

With 14 minutes remaining, the massed and very vocal Everton support rose to Alan Stubbs as the former Celtic man headed his first goal for his new club.  Three minutes later Campbell celebrated his hat-trick as he toe-poked home from two yards after Stillie had failed to hold on to a fierce Duncan Ferguson drive. 

It was the Scottish striker who bagged number five himself moments later, heading home a Thomas Gravesen right-wing cross, and the scoring was complete 60 seconds later when second half substitute Joe-Max Moore - on for Mark Pembridge - put Niclas Alexandersson through for the Swedish international to lob the ball over a despairing Stillie.

From Teamtalk

So to the game - another delayed kick off.  Once again the blue hoards were there in force; out of the crowd of 9,558 there must have been 3,000 in Everton colours.

Just 8 mins into the game, another lower-league side scored against us, Bukran latching on to a poor headed clearance from Gemmill, and from the edge of the box, through a pack of players, drilling the ball with power, past Gerrard’s left (who by the way was sporting a new all-white keeper's strip).

At this point of the game, Bristol Rovers springs to mind; the water is pouring down, Everton on the back foot, and having a hard time imposing themselves on yet another 2nd division side.

It took the last kick of the half for us to equalise.  Campbell found himself on the end of a long ball from Weir, past a square defence and, with just the keeper to beat, he put the ball under Stillie’s body.

Our only other chances for the first half, Pembridge 20 yds out just off target, Dunc had a couple of chances, a header from a corner, and a powerful shot on target that took a deflection.  Ferguson then became the provider; a great lay off to Campbell, whose shot was saved by the keeper’s legs.

We should have had a penalty Alexandersson brought down inside the box, but the man in green said no!

Half time a slightly fortunate 1-1.  We started the second half much better.  The half-time tea must have done the trick.

After 51 mins, we go 2-1 up thanks to Campbell.  Poor Kevin Sharp's back header to the keeper only got as far as Campbell who rounded the helpless Stillie, and rolled the ball into the empty net.

On 76 mins we are starting to gain control. A Joe-Max Moore corner swung in, with Stubbs running in to the box to head home: 3-1.  Two mins later, Campbell gets his hat-trick. Ferguson on the turn with the shot, which was saved, but the ball fell to Campbell who slid in like a jackal in the box to make it 4-1.

82 mins Gravesen does the hard work, a cross from the side of he penalty area, and Ferguson on the end of it: easy, 5-1.

For 6-1, Alexandersson picked up the through ball, saw the keeper off his line and then lobbed him elegantly.  A well-taken goal.

Why can’t we do this more often?

Some points of note, however, with Paul Gerrard in goal advancing off his line, Alessandro Pistone appalling in the first half and somewhat improved in the second.

A hat-trick from Kevin Campbell (one possibly offside, coolly placed between the keeper's legs; one a neat interception calmly finished after a defensive mix-up; and the third a follow up after a Ferguson attempt was parried) and others from Ferguson (a header from a Gravesen cross), Stubbs (an excellent header from a corner) and Alexandersson (a chip over the advancing keeper after excellent work to rob a defender) finished off the Latics.

Suffice to say that this was no more than a 50%-of-pace run out, with Everton fortunate to be level at half-time, but stepping up a gear and overpowering the opposition in the second.

The result shouldn't be taken out of context as the defensive unit looked unbalanced with Pistone and Gravesen playing as wing backs and the back three of Unsworth (left) Stubbs (centre) and Weir (right) still finding its feet.  Stubbs (my man of the match) looks a good acquisition as he has a vision and a capacity to deliver a telling ball. He's also not afraid of running into a gap that opens up in front of him – and he shouts and organises his team mates around him.

The midfield looked overcrowded as the wing backs played forward, Gemmill and Pembridge hugged the middle and Alexandersson ran everywhere he could to try and make an opening.  Ferguson and Campbell concentrated on flicks and effect rather than putting themselves about - yet despite this got four goals between them.  We still looked short of a quality left back though....  Isn't there a useful one still un-signed by Rangers?  Couldn't we hijack that one?