Everton's season of improbably inflated expectation lurched into life on an evening which was as much about the return of a prodigal son as it was about Premiership points.

A convincing and warranted victory over game opponents will be remembered only for the second-half appearance of Duncan Ferguson. The Scotsman finally ended Charlton's brave resistance six minutes before the final whistle with a crisp drive, and then added a second from close range in injury time. Of course the place went crazy.

Not all of Everton's eight new signings were given the opportunity to take a bow last night, but the punter-friendly ones were involved, Paul Gascoigne replacing the injured Michael Ball and Ferguson lying in wait on the bench.

More than content to defend deep and rely on counter attacks, Charlton's contribution was fitful but their discipline and organisation bodes well for the future.

Early on, when the pace was at its most frantic, both sets of forwards fell prey to over-ambition. Jeffers should have pushed the Merseysiders in front after 18 minutes but could do no more than drive tamely onto the legs of Dean Kiely and Charlton's John Robinson was similarly wasteful midway through the first half, driving wildly over in haste. And then the wheels started to fall off the Charlton band-wagon. Seven minutes before the interval Carl Tiler was dismissed with two yellow cards for two highly unnecessary skirmishes with Mark Hughes.

Everton: Gerrard, S Watson, Pistone (Unsworth 39), Gough, Weir, Nyarko, S. Hughes, Jeffers, Gravesen, Gascoigne (Moore 78), M Hughes (Ferguson 67). Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Gemmill. Booked: M Hughes, Jeffers. Goals: Jeffers 54, Ferguson 84, 90.

Charlton: Kiely, Kishishev, Powell, Stuart, Rufus, Tiler, Kinsella, Hunt, Robinson (Parker 64), Jensen (Newton 72), Lisbie (Brown 41). Subs Not Used: Ilic, Konchesky. Sent Off: Tiler (38). Booked: Tiler, Rufus.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).