Newcastle 2-3 Everton: Thierno Barry hits late winner to sink Magpies
Newcastle 2-3 Everton
Thierno Barry came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner as Everton inflicted a third successive home defeat on Newcastle United in a chaotic 3-2 victory at St James’ Park.
The substitute struck seconds after Jacob Murphy appeared to have rescued a point for the hosts with a fine volley in the closing stages.
It secured the Toffees a second consecutive win at this venue, though it required a stunning late save from England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to confirm the points.
The result leaves Eddie Howe’s side with just one win in seven league games, compounding a miserable run of form on Tyneside.
Defensive errors prove costly
Everton started confidently and took the lead when Jarrad Branthwaite glanced James Garner’s corner in off the far post after 20 minutes.
The hosts responded through Jacob Ramsey, whose shot clipped Branthwaite and looped over the goalkeeper following excellent work from Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.
However, parity lasted just two minutes before a calamitous error from Nick Pope gifted Sean Dyche’s men the advantage again.
The Newcastle stopper fumbled a Dwight McNeil strike, allowing Beto to pounce from close range and restore the visitors’ lead before half-time.
Late drama at St James’ Park
Howe introduced Harvey Barnes and Murphy in a bid to salvage the game, but the Magpies remained vulnerable at the back.
Beto missed a golden opportunity to put the game beyond reach, firing against the crossbar after muscling Malick Thiaw off the ball.
That miss appeared fatal when Murphy dragged the North East club back into the contest with eight minutes remaining.
Yet the respite was short-lived, as Barry delivered the decisive blow almost immediately to send the travelling supporters into raptures.
Toffees eyeing Europe
The victory moves the Merseysiders up to eighth in the Premier League table, leaving them just five points adrift of the top six.
They have now reached the 40-point mark following a committed display that exposed their opponents’ fragility.
Conversely, Newcastle remain stuck in the bottom half of the table, facing a daunting schedule across three competitions in March.