Alex Iwobi and Idrissa Gueye partied topless in the south coast sunshine as Everton's travelling fanbase revelled in a win that underlines the progress being made under Frank Lampard.
The midfielders had followed Vitalii Mykolenko - the first to give up his shirt - over to the supporters on the final whistle after the Blues secured a remarkable win at Southampton.
As the players danced to a soundtrack that included Spirit of the Blues, Lampard, who had already been over to show his appreciation, was serenaded with yet another round of 'Super Frank' when he turned back for one last look before heading down the tunnel.
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The scenes capped off a dramatic comeback victory that showcased Everton's gathering momentum as they made it back-to-back victories and revealed the win over West Ham United just before the international break had not been a one-off.
What will please Lampard and his coaches most will be the manner of this victory - a game that emphasised the importance of the leaders in his camp, his side's new-found strength in depth and the ability of squad players to step up and produce moments of quality when needed.
At St Mary's returning club captain Seamus Coleman offered composure and resilience as he replaced the injured Nathan Patterson. While he provided yet another calm presence, it was Dwight McNeil who conjured the magic. The 22-year-old, Lampard's most questioned summer signing, won this for the Blues with a finish of venom and precision. But his performance was much more than just his goal.
When he signed in the summer many critics openly wondered whether Everton would get the McNeil of his early years as he burst on to the scene, or that of last year, when he provided just one assist for Burnley - though that statistic fails to take into account the number of chances he created that were missed by others.
Here, under pressure as he stepped in for Anthony Gordon, left on the bench due to illness, McNeil worked hard across the pitch and his effort was crucial to his side largely controlling a first half in which Gueye dictated events in the middle and Demarai Gray repeatedly threatened but was unable to find that crucial end product. McNeil's determination to help in his team's defensive duties was on show, too, as well as his creative vision - best displayed by a second half through-ball to Gray that should have provided him with an assist.
All of the key points in this match came in that frenetic second half. After having the better of the first 45 minutes, Everton started the second poorly, surviving an early scare when Che Adams misjudged a back-post header before Joe Aribo gave Southampton the lead. Aribo's goal sparked chaos at St Mary's. His strike, a drilled effort from 16 yards after the ball was laid into his path by Adams, had followed a sloppy start by Everton. The opener concluded a Southampton attack that had started when Gueye - the Blues' best player to that point - gave the ball away in his own half. It was a moment that threatened to undo a solid performance. Instead it was the catalyst for a ferocious comeback.
With the home supporters still celebrating, Gray whipped a curling free-kick to the back post where Amadou Onana used his size and strength to send the ball across the face of goal and into the path of Conor Coady, who slammed home from just yards out and wheeled away in jubilation. Just like when he thought he had scored against Liverpool 180 minutes earlier in his Everton career, he marked this goal with emphatic celebrations. Unlike during the derby, there was no VAR intervention to spoil his big moment.
Then up stepped McNeil. Before the crowd could catch a collective breath there was more drama unfolding. Southampton had players queuing in the Everton box to put them back ahead but block after block met shot after shot. Amid the carnage the ball broke, the away side countered and Gray was involved again, teeing up Iwobi out wide. His ball from the right went over the head of Onana, who was claiming for a penalty for a push as the ball fell to McNeil. His first touch was as delicate as his second was ruthless - Everton's number seven rifling a vicious half-volley into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
For all the plaudits McNeil will rightly receive, this was also a goal built on the bruises earned by James Tarkowski and his team-mates for their courageous blocks seconds earlier.
As the travelling supporters provided the soundtrack to the minutes that followed McNeil remained in the thick of the drama. While others may have been reliving their finish he was chasing back Stuart Armstrong before producing his second moment of quality - a delightful, precise through ball that sent Gray through on goal only for him to fire straight at Gavin Bazunu. The save prevented Everton from creating breathing space but that was no fault of McNeil, who deserved the applause he received from the away end as he left the pitch with 15 minutes to go and after his best performance as a Blue.
In the final stages the game became less frenetic but the influence Everton were able to master in the first half fell away as Southampton fought for an equaliser. Adam Armstrong sliced a volley over the bar from a Kyle Walker-Peters cross before Jordan Pickford, currently holder of the Premier League save of last season and save of last month titles, produced another fine stop as he pushed another Armstrong effort high and wide.
But they rode out the storm - which included a late Duje Caleta-Car volley that was sent over from close range - to secure back-to-back wins and further enhance the claims of many in Blue that Lampard's side is making genuine progress.
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