Everton are still without a Premier League win at Goodison Park this season after they let a two-goal lead slip against Newcastle.
Newcastle come from two goals behind
Everton are still without a Premier League win at Goodison Park this season after they let a two-goal lead slip against Newcastle.
The Toffees looked to be cruising to success over the troubled North East giants after a Mikel Arteta penalty and a Marouane Fellaini goal had put the home side 2-0 up after just 35 minutes.
But Joe Kinnear's Magpies showed the sort of resolve which has been so lacking so far this term.
Steven Taylor's header just before break gave them a real lifeline and then Damien Duff fired home just minutes into the second-half to level matters.
Both sides had chances to win the game late on, but it is Kinnear and the Newcastle fans who were delighted with the result at full-time.
With a gaggle of consortiums - from the USA and the far and Middle East - circling to take over the Tyneside club in the coming weeks, Kinnear may not be around much longer.
But he has certainly made an impact on Newcastle, who at last showed fight and spirit.
Newcastle were under pressure from the start against an Everton side still smarting from their Uefa Cup exit in midweek.
Louis Saha fired wide, Aiyegbeni Yakubu lifted a shot over the bar and Arteta saw a free-kick curl over.
Everton should have been ahead after seven minutes when Yakubu turned Claudio Cacapa far too easily as a ball came in from the left, but the Nigerian stabbed a 12-yard effort just wide.
Newcastle responded when Charles N'Zogbia appeared in yards of space on the left to fire a cross-shot just wide of the far post.
Penalty
But Everton were ahead after 17 minutes. Nicky Butt was penalised for a sliding tackle on Baines in the box after the full-back looked to have lost the ball.
But the Newcastle midfielder did take his legs and made no contact with the ball. Referee Howard Webb had no doubt over giving Arteta the chance to drill home the penalty.
Newcastle hit back and after Tim Howard had pushed away a Michael Owen shot, Taylor's follow-up effort was chested off the line by Baines.
The movement of Owen and Duff caused Everton's backline plenty of problems, but Newcastle defended far too deep and it gave the Toffees the space and incentive to come forward.
It was Everton who almost went two ahead when Yakubu sent a near-post cross from Pienaar inches wide.
However, the second did arrive after 35 minutes when Baines' cross from the right was reached first by Fellaini in the six-yard box, and he stretched out a leg to see his debut goal for the club crash home off the underside of the bar.
Newcastle replaced Enrique with Bassong six minutes from the break, before Butt was booked for a trip on Saha.
The visitors were looking ragged, but they were given a lifeline when Taylor headed home at the far post seconds before the break from Geremi's cross.
Spurred by that late goal in the first period, Newcastle struck again a minute after half-time.
Taylor was played in down the right and with Everton expecting a flag, he kept running and crossed for Duff to guide home the equaliser. Replays suggested that Phil Jagielka had played Taylor onside.
Suddenly it was Newcastle coming forward. Saha almost sliced a corner into his own net and Howard saved from N'Zogbia.
Leon Osman forced a fine save from Shay Given as Everton regained some of their composure, but it was much more of an even contest by now.
Fabricio Coloccini saw a header blocked in the six-yard box before an extra striker, in Shola Ameobi, came on for Geremi.
Fellaini was booked for a foul on Duff, Geremi having also been cautioned for hauling back Pienaar.
Everton threw Victor Anichebe on for Saha, but it was Newcastle who almost grabbed the winner when it took a tremendous saving block from Baines to keep out an N'Zogbia shot with Howard beaten.
The hosts then sent on another striker, James Vaughan replacing Pienaar with six minutes left.
Anichebe sent a low shot inches wide while at the other end Ameobi sent a strike just past the far post.
| Everton |
Team Statistics |
Newcastle United |
| 2 |
Goals |
2 |
| 2 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
| 10 |
Shots off Target |
2 |
| 1 |
Blocked Shots |
6 |
| 3 |
Corners |
5 |
| 18 |
Fouls |
14 |
| 1 |
Offsides |
3 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 77.1 |
Passing Success |
70 |
| 16 |
Tackles |
22 |
| 68.8 |
Tackles Success |
81.8 |
| 53.7 |
Possession |
46.3 |
| 47.8 |
Territorial Advantage |
52.2 |
|
