- So, who saw that coming? Excellent Albion display. Plenty of battle, will, a bit of luck along the way...but four very well-taken goals. Thoroughly deserved.

- And for that Albion have Scott Carson to thank. He's becoming a bit of a Marmite figure among Albion fans but without his performance yesterday the visitors would have been two nil down before Scharner's strike.

- Speaking of Scharner - that's five goals against Everton (a third of his Premier League goal haul). He claims to be a midfielder and has been played there before. He's brought a certain organised discipline to Youssouf Mulumbu's play this season, yet he looked far more comfortable at centre-half.

- The defence generally played well but it will concern Roberto Di Matteo that Jermaine Beckford was still afforded two clear cut attempts on goal late on. Thank goodness it was Beckford. Must be remedied.

- Graham Dorrans. Not back to his best yet, but we saw the nearest to 'best' for this season so far at Goodison. More of that GD.

- Jara needs to rein it in a little. Whether or not his challenge on Arteta was deemed a red-card offence (Lee Mason thought not and it didn't deserve a stamp) the Albion right-back needs to calm down his challenges. Premier League referees won't tolerate it...

- Mulumbu, sending-off aside, was outstanding. His bite, tenacity and growing confidence lifts those around him. Even so, it's time to get rid of this ridiculous ruling that over-celebrating results in a yellow card. His dismissal could have been costly had Albion's lead been slimmer.

- Keep your fingers crossed that Albion's game at Ipswich isn't called off. Otherwise Mulumbu will miss the Villa game, as well as the Newcastle match.

- Roberto Di Matteo is the first Albion manager to bring three points back from the two Merseyside giants. When Albion last won, at Goodison Park back in 1979, it was only two points per win. Whatever happens between now and May, at least the Italian and his side are giving Albion fans some memorable days-out along the way.

So, Luke Moore, where did it all go wrong?

Perhaps we can trace this question back to March 2008. About 35 minutes into his first start at The Hawthorns if we're being exact - his fifth outing for Albion.

Moore threw himself into a two-footed lunge on Leicester's Richard Stearman. Out came the red card.

And here we are two-and-a-half years later. Just 63 outings for Albion in total, five goals - three of those against one club, Peterborough - and two managers.

To know what makes Luke Moore tick would take some doing.

Tony Mowbray tried, and failed. Roberto Di Matteo also tried.

Yet Moore has ended these previous two seasons identically - starting each campaign with expectation, ending each campaign spending his Saturdays at home, while others were playing football in his place.

Contrary to popular myth, Moore wasn't part of the Curtis Davies deal during August 07, although he was discussed as a possible makeweight during those negotiations. Villa simply didn't wish to sell.

Instead it needed a bust-up between Moore and Martin O'Neill - during a 4-4 draw at White Hart Lane in October 07 - to end his Villa career. By the time Villa were ready to sell, in February 2008, his value had dropped.

And it's continued to decline since.

Moore is now starting the third month of a loan spell at Derby. Nigel Clough has managed to take a lost cause and re-energise it. Perhaps he's cracked it.

It's not that Mowbray or Di Matteo failed as such. It's just that the transfer didn't work out. It was probably destined never to. Albion should have taken the hint during those protracted discussions with Villa over the Davies deal.

Mowbray wanted and needed a striker during Spring 2008. Moore was offered to Albion and a decent gamble. And it seemed a good fit at the time, although the Albion boss seemed to um and ah at the time as to whether it was the right thing to do - even up until the signing was completed.

Di Matteo offered opportunities when he arrived in July 09. Moore started the season up front with Simon Cox and the early signs were encouraging. But, gradually, it fell away.

The same old rumblings came back - mainly about his ability to turn it on during training, only to lose interest. The ability has always been there. The application hasn't.

On a personal level, Luke is a shy lad who doesn't give the impression of being in love with football. Indeed a lot of his time outside of football is taken up with business interests elsewhere. He needed a move to restore his love for football. Clearly it isn't, wasn't, going to happen at B71.

He gave three interviews to me during his time at Albion. Each time he was polite, but always uncomfortable. On one occasion he told a colleague that he 'couldn't be bothered' to speak. If he was, as I expect, being shy, his turn of phrase wasn't doing him many favours.

Moore's current deal expires next summer, although Albion have the option of an extra 12 months. We have to assume he will either leave permanently in January or be granted a free exit next summer. If Robert Koren couldn't earn the 'option', then you can't imagine the ex-Villa striker will either.

In the meantime, Derby continue trying to piece together the career of a man who overshadowed Wayne Rooney during Villa's FA Youth Cup win against Everton in 2002. He can learn a lot from Clough while he is there.

Moore scored a hat-trick for Villa against Middlesbrough. He was a player capable of representing his country at under-21 level during the Spring of 2008 - these days that would make him a serious contender for the senior squad.

Let's hope, for all concerned, his spell in the East Midlands can restore his footballing mojo. He's scored twice in eight outings so far. It might prompt Derby to sign him permanently in January.

From Albion's point of view, that would be the best outcome.

Sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

- Stuart Hall, broadcasting legend, goes on air and fills his report with laughter. Reason? Peter Odemwingie's pass back across the box which no Albion players were there to meet. It wasn't that funny. Perhaps he was having a flashback to those Belgians dressed as giant swans.

- A lot of understandable bad feeling and gloom, certainly on the Twitter feeds. Raised expectation among Albion fans can surely be traced back to around 4.24pm on September 25 when Jerome Thomas slammed in the third goal at the Emirates. Roberto Di Matteo took exception to the notion that Albion went into games at West Ham and Wigan expectant of points. He points out - with some justification - that both clubs have more Premier League experience. Yesterday brought a few back down to earth.

- Albion's midfield Holy Trinity of Thomas, Brunt and Morrison have been excellent this season. No coincidence that Albion struggled on the day the trio each produced their worst individual displays. There was little link-up play between Odemwingie and those behind him. No support, no goals.

- The Baggies won't be relegated because of Saturday's defeat in the same way that they weren't about to conquer Europe next season following their win at Arsenal. Yet this season's Premier League has proven that strange results can happen. Strange enough for Albion to beat Stoke? Who knows...

- Graham Dorrans hasn't really been with us this season. The Baggies need their talismanic midfielder back ASAP. Hard to believe we're seeing Dorrans warming the bench and not terrorising defenders like he was six months ago. A fit and fully-focused Dorrans can only help Albion's cause this season.

- Goal music is very naff. Please can the Premier League ban it at all grounds. Thank you.