rewrite this title Newcastle 2-3 Everton: Toffees come out on top in classic as Magpies lose more ground in European race

Newcastle’s struggles in the Premier League continued as Eddie Howe’s side were beaten 3-2 at home by Everton.

Having secured a tie against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek, the Magpies put in a lacklustre performance against the Toffees to see them fall further off the pace in the race for European football next season.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Beto scored either side of a deflected bolt-from-the-blue from Jacob Ramsey to give the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead, and a scruffy Thierno Barry winner then followed Jacob Murphy’s second-half goal.

The result saw David Moyes’ men respond to their defeat to Manchester United on Monday Night Football and climb back into the top eight.

Despite resting several key players for the Champions League win over Qarabag, the hosts started slowly, inviting pressure on Nick Pope’s goal.

They were eventually punished as the in-form James Garner found the head of Branthwaite with a wicked corner, with the defender applying a deft touch to find the far corner via the inside of the post.

As the St James’ Park crowd got on the back of the home side, they managed to find a breakthrough themselves. Sandro Tonali’s defence-splitting pass found the feet of Ramsey, whose deflected shot looped over Jordan Pickford and nestled in the back of the net.

Just 105 seconds later though, the visitors regained the initiative. Dwight McNeil’s effort from range was spilled by Pope into the path of the onrushing Beto who smashed the ball into the empty net from close range for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.

Newcastle had scored 19 goals in the final quarter of an hour of games this season prior to kick-off, and Howe rolled the dice by bringing on attacking players in search for the 20th. They found it through one of his changes as Murphy fired past a crowd of players to level.

However, lightning struck twice as Newcastle again immediately lost parity, substitute Barry bundling Everton back in front straight from the restart.

That would not be the end of the drama, though, as Tonali thought he had volleyed home a stoppage-time equaliser only for Pickford to produce an extraordinary flying stop to secure the points.

The result means Newcastle have just one win their last seven Premier League games, while Everton remain unbeaten in their last six away from home as they continue their unlikely push for a European place.

More to follow…

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