Nicky Barmby grabbed a stunning hat-trick to make Everton fans forget all about their axed skipper Don Hutchison.

The Scot was dramatically left behind on Merseyside by boss Walter Smith after the breakdown of new contract talks during the week.

Smith was clearly upset when Hutchison described the club's offer of new wages - believed to be around £12,000 a week - as "a disgrace."

Such a decision less than a week after Everton's season was supposedly ruined by their FA Cup quarter-final exit was either brave or foolhardy.

But Smith need not have wasted a moment's sleep because Everton produced a controlled, stylish display that showed that Hutchison can be replaced and the team still believe they have European dreams via their league position.

It certainly helped them that West Ham were denied the wonderful skills of Paolo di Canio, injured, and suspended England prospect Frank Lampard's drive from midfield.

Having a new on-loan keeper behind them in Sasa Ilic only compounded the sense of fear around Upton Park that their squad had been weakened far too much to contemplate another of those nine-goal thrillers like the last home game with Bradford.

If you take the di Canio out of West Ham, you take most of the invention and guile. In the end Harry Redknapp's side were stretched just too far.

Ilic will want to forget this return to the top flight. He could be blamed for two of the goals, and long before the end West Ham's defence were a bag of nerves. To have lost Shaka Hislop with a broken leg was bad enough, but for Craig Forrest to still be involved with Canada was a blow too far.

Stuart Pearce, back for his first game since September, marauded down the left in typical fashion, and had the crowd roaring, but there was a lack of co-ordination with no Lampard and di Canio, and Everton had better shape and balance.

And the Merseysiders struck after just eight minutes. Michael Ball launched a high cross from the left and Ilic rushed from his line, but failed to get a clean punch under pressure from Kevin Campbell. The ball dropped to Nicky Barmby, who had plenty of time to lash a 12-yard shot high into the net.

West Ham's attempts were lacking in pace and guile, and they gave Everton time to mass a solid barrier of defenders.

West Ham forced a string of corners, some flapped at by Thomas Myhre to cause much consternation, but real chances in the first half were at a premium.

About the best was a Marc Keller corner after 20 minutes that was met by Paulo Wanchope, and his header was deflected narrowly over the top by Abel Xavier.

Everton were working very hard to restrict West Ham's midfielders any space, John Collins trailing Joe Cole, and Mark Pembridge battling to stifle Steve Lomas' runs.

But a fine break by Everton showed how dangerous they can be when they let teams attack them. The break was led by Barmby, and ended with a pass to Campbell, whose fierce drive was palmed away by Ilic after 28 minutes.

Myhre continued to panic at corners but the best West Ham could manage was a Rio Ferdinand header from another flag kick into the Norwegian's arms.

Everton's mass of defenders was constantly blanketing West Ham's attempts and their quick passing routines. But John Moncur did break through cleverly on 38 minutes, but failed to shoot when he had the chance from the edge of the box and was soon submerged by recovering defenders.

That just about summed up the problems West Ham were having.

The spark and invention that di Canio provides to unlock such defences was sadly missed.

The game opened up dramatically after the break with West Ham quicker and more positive.

After 50 minutes Trevor Sinclair fired over a cross, Wanchope rose above the Everton defence and sent a clever header that Myhre somehow scrambled round a post. Myhre did the same thing again to beat away a Paul Kitson hook, but inbetween these two saves, Everton ran riot.

Everton were capable of being lethal on the break. Collins broke out and crashed a 25-yarder against the bar after 53 minutes, and a minute later Campbell got down the left to produce a pulled back cross that Joe-Max Moore fired inches wide.

The American saw another snap show deflect fractionally wide of the post after 62 minutes. David Weir also saw a low header through a crowded box scooped up by Ilic.

West Ham were pushing forward so much the inevitable happened on 64 minutes. Campbell broke away, neatly fed Barmby, and the midfielder skipped into the box to slip his second goal under Ilic.

Three minutes later Barmby completed his hat-trick. Pembridge chased a seemingly lost cause to the corner flag and hooked the ball into the area for Barmby to drill in a low shot that seemed to flick over Ilic as he went down in the six-yard box.

And after 71 minutes it was four, this time Barmby creating the chance for Moore to stab home his sixth in seven games.

The bottom line was that Cole had been left to shoulder all the midfield responsibility, and maybe Howard Wilkinson is right and Kevin Keegan wrong that this superkid is not yet ready for England.

Teams:

West Ham: Ilic, Stimac, Ferdinand, S. Pearce, Sinclair, Lomas, Moncur, Cole, Keller, Wanchope, Kitson.

Subs Not Used: Feuer, Foe, Margas, Charles, Minto.

Everton: Myhre, Xavier, Weir, Gough, Unsworth, Barmby (Ward 84), Pembridge, Collins, Ball, Campbell, Moore.

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Watson, Dunne, Cadamarteri.

Goals: Barmby 8, 64, 67, Moore 71.

Att: 26,025

Ref: P Alcock (Halstead).