The script had been written for an American to be Everton's hero against Bolton but nobody envisaged that it was almost Tim Howard, neither did they anticipate an away win.
For the Trotters, this was a seven-year itch they could finally scratch. The last time they ran out victorious at Goodison Park was in late 2005, when they administered a 4-0 hammering.
All the headlines had centred around the recapture of Landon Donovan however it was his international team mate Howard who scored a goal which will rank as one of the freakiest.
Though the goalkeeper nearly took the plaudits, it was clear why Everton have held Donovan in such esteem since his intial loan spell during the midway point of the 2009-10 season.
His comeback may not have produced the goals the home crowd had anticipated but he delivered a performance which may have almost suggested that he had never really left.
Initially occupying a role on the right side of midfield did little to prevent Donovan from making runs of a classic number nine; regulartly causing problems for Zat Knight and Gary Cahill.
A cross in the opening stages, sandwiched past Samuel Ricketts, should have merited a greater reward than Denis Stracqualursi's dragged shot from close range.
Everton's dominance should have paid dividends in the first half when Knight felled Saha, the ball broke to Leon Osman outside the area and he saw a blistering effort whistle just wide.
Having taken four points from six over the festive period, extending their run on the twelfth night against this relegation-threatened Bolton side should have been a certainty for the hosts.
However Bolton were never going to favour the odds as they started after the interval with an abundance of chances which provided Everton with an increasing number of scares.
Martin Petrov's ball freed Mark Davies, who embarked on a jinking run past Distin before angling a shot which Howard's left leg prefented from breaking the deadlock for the visitors.
Ngog unleashed a curling shot which produced a finger-tip save from Howard as the former Liverpool striker was preparing to extract his revenge on his former adversaries.
But it was not before Howard etched his name into the history books and the high winds battering Merseyside which had restricted the attendance to a crowd of just 29,561 - one of the lowest during David Moyes' decade in charge - proved the key variable in the process.
His 63rd-minute clearance from a Sylvain Distin back-pass floated 80 yards upfield before a gust took the bounce outside the penalty area over a sprawling Adam Bodgan. The lack of celebration from the Everton goalkeeper showed the humility for his opposite number.
Yet for all the potential monthly accolades which Howard may receive for his unlikely spot of marksmanship, his reputation as a proven stopper was dealt an alarming blow by a lapsed defence.
Nigel Reo-Coker burst past Louis Saha and was afforded good fortune as the Frenchman diverted the ball into the path of advancing compatriot Ngog who unleashed a clinical strike.
Bolton continued to press and their persistence was rewarded as the Chelsea-bound Cahill cemented his status with their travelling fans with a well-drilled effort 10 minutes from time.
The England international headed a wayward free kick goalwards which Howard could only punch as far as Eagles, who teed up his outgoing team mate for a curling shot into the net.
Negotiations with the West Londoners will see a marginal price increase on the basis of his generally solid performance here. The strike will only serve to hike that valuation up.
Leighton Baines could have salvaged a point at the death as he angled a free kick which Bodgan tipped onto the underside of the crossbar as Everton were left to count the cost.
"We didn't deserve to be in front and Bolton deserved to win the game so I've got no qualms with the result. You can't perform like that and expect to win," said Moyes.
"The conditions are never good to play in that but two teams have to play in it. I think it's a little bit easier to play away from home when it's like that because you have to make a bit of play.
"I've got no arguments about the result. It was a freak that we were 1-0 up. We'd have taken it and obviously we should have done better but we couldn't hold onto it after that."
EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka (Rodwell 42) (Cahill 61), Distin, Baines; Donovan, Neville, Heitinga, Osman (Gueye 53); Stracqualursi, Saha
Subs not used: Mucha, Bilyaletdinov, McFadden, Cahill, Anichebe.
BOLTON (4-4-2): Bogdan; Steinsson, Knight, Cahill, Ricketts; M Davies, Muamba, Reo-Coker, Petrov; Ngog (Davies 87), Eagles (Pratley 81). Subs not used: Robinson, Tuncay, Klasnic, Wheater, Lynch
Goals: Howard (63), Ngog (67), Cahill (78)
Booked: Ngog, Reo-Coker, Distin, Cahill
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Attendance: 29,561
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