Everton 3-0 Newcastle: Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto lift Toffees out of Premier League relegation zone

Newcastle United suffered a late collapse as Everton ran out 3-0 winners at Goodison Park.

In what began as an evenly matched contest that was riddled with sloppiness and profligacy in both boxes, it was The Magpies, having soaked up the hosts’ early pressure, who had the first real sighting of goal.

Miguel Almiron was released by Joelinton after a neat one-two between the Brazilian and Alexander Isak, but the Paraguayan, bearing down on goal, could only muster a tame and rushed effort straight at Jordan Pickford.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, returning to the side after another fitness worry, spurned three chances in as many minutes with two headers and a scuffed shot from the right-hand channel of the penalty area, and the striker continued to make a nuisance of himself, pinning the Newcastle central defenders as the hosts looked more direct.

A glancing Isak header on 37 minutes had Pickford scampering back across his line as he nervously watched it drift narrowly wide of the far post, and Calvert-Lewin blazed another glorious opportunity over the top at the other end.

Anthony Gordon, the returning pantomime villain, robbed the dallying James Tarkowski on the edge of the area just after the hour, but the winger could only drill his shot straight at Pickford cueing a chorus of boos from the home support.

But finally, the tension and the nervousness of the Evertonians, still furious with the Premier League over their 10-point deduction, was relieved with 11 minutes to play.

Kieran Trippier, the evergreen Newcastle captain, stalled in possession, and a determined Dwight McNeil picked his pocket, driving into the open space ahead of the retreating Newcastle defence. He kept going, and crashed a shot into the far corner to send Goodison Park into a sea of ecstasy.

It was two with four minutes to go as Martin Dubravka, the stand-in Newcastle goalkeeper, looked to set off a quick counter from an Everton corner, and threw the ball wide for Trippier. The right-back attempted a tired pass back to Jamaal Lascelles, but sold his colleague short, with Jack Harrison bursting onto the scene, and driving towards the byline.

The Leeds lonaee found the onrushing Abdoulaye Doucoure via a McNeil swipe, and the midfielder stroked home to double the lead.

There was still time for another goal as the visitors looked leggier and leggier, with substitute Beto powering down the right, leaving the fatigued Fabian Schar in his wake. He slotted underneath the helpless Dubravka to lift The Toffees out of the relegation zone.

Eddie Howe and his shoestring squad had been working wonders for the last two weeks as they continue to reel from an ever-growing casualty list, and Nick Pope, their reliable first-choice goalkeeper, was added to that last weekend after coming off against Manchester United with a shoulder injury. He will be out for four months.

A very creditable draw, combined with a fantastic performance in Paris, as well as an impressive win over a poor Manchester United four days later showed that maybe squad depth is not everything in an increasingly physical game, but it was the growing fatigue of the visitors that burned them in the dying embers.

Two tired mistakes from Trippier, who still played the full 100 minutes here, opened the floodgates, and desperately chasing the game at the death, they were dealt the final knockout blow by Beto, who brushed past the exhausted Schar to seal the deal. Signings in January are proving ever more vital for Newcastle if they intend to compete at the top table once again.

Perhaps a hipster choice when a side has just won 3-0, but the resoluteness of The Toffees’ backline was the foundation for this crucial win.

Branthwaite, who took several batterings over the course of the contest, was the personification of that.

The young centre-back marshalled Alexander Isak, so often a handful for the most elite of defences, to perfection, following the Swede into midfield when he sought to link play, and hardly letting him have a sniff in the home penalty area.

Everton: Pickford 6, Coleman 6, Tarkowski 7, Branthwaite 8, Young 6, Gueye 6, Doucoure 7, Mykolenko 6, Harrison 7, C-Lewin 6, McNeil 7. Subs: Patterson 6, Beto 7.

Newcastle: Dubravka 6, Trippier 5, Lascelles 6, Schar 6, Livramento 6, Miley 6, Guimaraes 6, Joelinton 6, Almiron 5, Isak 6, Gordon 5. Subs: Krafth 6, Ritchie 6.

18′: WHAT A CHANCE! That’s a perfect example of what Joelinton adds to this Newcastle side as he bursts forward after a neat lay-off from Isak. The Brazilian looks right, finding Almiron, who bears down on Pickford, but his early effort is tame and trickles into the grateful gloves of the Everton goalkeeper.

37′: JUST WIDE! Trippier curls in a delicious delivery that Isak glances towards the back post. Pickford desperately scampers towards his post, but the ball lands just wide of the far corner.

79′: GOAL! Finally, the deadlock is broken! Dwight McNeil is the scorer, and it’s Kieran Trippier who makes an uncharacteristic mistake! The Newcastle skipper dallies on the ball, McNeil nabs it off him, driving into the open space ahead of the retreating visiting defence, and he smashes it into the far corner!

87′: GOAL! Another Trippier mistake, and it’s two for the Toffees! Dubravka catches the corner and looks to set up a quick counter finding his right-back, but a tired pass back from Trippier sells Lascelles short, and Harrison latches onto it. He drives on, finding McNeil in the penalty area, and the left-winger’s half-swipe is into the path of Doucoure, who strokes home!

90+7′: GOAL! Beto sets the seal! It’s three, and Newcastle have collapsed. A lovely ball down the right from Patterson finds Beto, who powers towards goal, and the leggy Schar can’t keep up with the Portuguese, who slots underneath Dubravka.