Stubbs has all-round quality for Everton

Preston North End 1 Everton 3

Whether anything significant can be learned from a gentle work-out on a sticky afternoon in July is open to question, particularly when your key summer signing is still under wraps, but Everton can at least take satisfaction from a victory after easing their way into a new season yesterday.

The visit to Preston's Deepdale ground provided the manager, Walter Smith, with his first chance to assess the form and fitness of his squad in competitive action. Only a solid start in the Premiership will be acceptable for Smith as he enters his fourth season in charge at Goodison Park, one which will almost certainly be critical if he is to remain on Merseyside.

Smith's reputation among his peers is undiminished after his struggle, against numerous handicaps, to restore pride to Everton, but football supporters and directors are not renowned for their elasticity of patience.

After finishing 14th twice and then 16th, Smith will need to deliver a substantial improvement. A key factor will be a squad blessed with the good fortune to stay injury-free, something which he has not yet enjoyed for a sustained period.

Smith's record as a wheeler-dealer is admirable, amounting to some 70 players shipped in or out on a turnover of £100m for a net loss of just £2m, but the tendency of his new arrivals to spend more time in the treatment room than on the pitch has tested even his renowned composure.

To see such names as Duncan Ferguson, Niclas Alexandersson, Gary Naysmith and Alessandro Pistone together on the same field yesterday must have been a strange experience for him. Alan Stubbs, the former Bolton centre-back signed from Celtic after a second battle with cancer, gave evidence of his all-round qualities on his Everton debut and even Paul Gascoigne, looking trim if short of match fitness, was there to make a late cameo appearance.

There was, however, no first sighting of Tomasz Radzinski, the £4.5m striker signed from Anderlecht last week as a replacement for Francis Jeffers. The Canadian will be unveiled at Burnley in midweek provided he overcomes a slight groin strain. Michael Ball, who may or may not join Middlesbrough, Idan Tal, Thomas Gravesen and Mark Pembridge were other absentees, along with Danny Cadamarteri, although Smith said afterwards that none has a serious problem.

In the absence of Radzinski, Ferguson and Kevin Campbell had the opportunity to lodge their own claims on starting places. Ferguson had a header beaten away by the Preston goalkeeper, Tepi Moilanen, and Campbell dragged a low shot narrowly wide, but in a predictably low key first 45 minutes the best chance fell to Alexandersson, whose well-timed run on to a Naysmith pass was only just foiled by Colin Murdock's intervention.

Two goals in as many minutes at the start of the second half put Everton in control, directly as a consequence of Joe-Max Moore replacing Naysmith in a reshuffled midfield. The American drove home a half-volley after Campbell had won a challenge for Steve Watson's cross, then set up a second for David Unsworth.

Campbell added a third 10 minutes from time, heading in a cross by the substitute Kevin McLeod moments after Gascoigne's entrance had brought applause from both sets of supporters. Preston replied within a minute when Gascoigne conceded a foul, David Healy took a swift free-kick and Rob Edwards volleyed in on the blind side of Everton's defence.

Preston North End 1

Edwards 80

Everton 3

Moore 46, Unsworth 48, Campbell 79

Half-time 0-0 Attendance: 8,500