Football: Trickery of Campbell

Everton 6 Campbell 14, 52, 77, Ball pen 25, Hutchison 38, Jeffers 87 West Ham United 0 Half-time: 3-0 Attendance: 40,049

IF THERE is a bank to break at Everton next season - and the continuing off-pitch shenanigans mean that is still far from clear - then the first name on Walter Smith's shopping list will unquestionably be Kevin Campbell. A hat-trick yesterday took his seven-match goal tally to nine and it's not being melodramatic to acknowledge that his strikes have secured his team's status among the elite.

The least reward he deserves for his efforts is that Everton make his wish to return to Britain from the Turkish side Trabzonspor come true but, as Smith recognised, that is far from a certainty. "I'd like to keep Kevin but with our financial situation it's not straightforward," he said.

There is no doubting his influence on the outcome of Everton's season - before his loan- signing the club's predicament was, at best, precarious. And his contribution to this game was only underlined by his deserved trio of strikes as his all-round performance was equally impressive as playmaker, provider and leader of the line.

If Campbell - the first loan player to pick up a Carling Player of the Month award - was the destroyer, then Scot Gemmill was the architect of the rout. His control of the midfield almost made the presence of West Ham's playmakers superfluous, and he made a direct contribution to four of his team's goals.

He delivered the corner which Campbell finally nudged over the line after Shaka Hislop valiantly parried David Unsworth's goalbound volley. Everton's second, a penalty from Michael Ball, was created by Gemmill who, on dribbling into the box to find a shooting chance, was bundled over by Steve Lomas.

Don Hutchison volleyed the third eight minutes before the break, the ball falling kindly for him after Francis Jeffers mis-timed his shot after a neat chip from Campbell. The former Arsenal striker took advantage of more lax defending and some intricate passing between Gemmill and David Weir, five minutes into the second half, to lift a deft chip over Hislop for his second and the hat-trick was completed with a sweet drive from the edge of the box. Gemmill's final contribution, three minutes from time, was to float the corner for Jeffers to head in after a near-post flick on.

West Ham's input was virtually nil. Not a single shot on target was mustered, and only Paolo di Canio, in spells, appeared interested in the tie. The one and only meaningful chance created fell to the Italian but his close- range header flew woefully wide.

Harry Redknapp, the Hammers manager, was fulsome in his praise of Everton's performance and could only offer lingering injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Neil Ruddock as the reason for his team's capitulation. He also asked that his team be judged on their season's work, not just one bad day at the office.