Where it happened for Charlton, if anywhere, was on the flanks. First Jerome Thomas and then Dennis Rommedhal gave Everton lots of problems.
The irony was that when Everton and James Beattie belatedly came to life at the end of the first 45 minutes, it was the striker who struck the most menacing shot of the half.
Joseph Yobo was a defiant stumbling block to Charlton from the outset. It was his excellent tackle that frustrated Marcus Bent, and he was always, it seemed, a formidable presence with foot or head when trouble threatened.
However, Everton were something of a mystery, and Tim Cahill was virtually anonymous, save for a goalline clearance after Richard Wright flapped at a corner.