Premier League
NewcastleNewcastle United3EvertonEverton2

Newcastle United 3-2 Everton

By Saj ChowdhuryBBC Sport
Newcastle players
Ayoze Perez signed for the Magpies for only £1.5m in the summer
  • Ayoze Perez continues great scoring form
  • Papiss Cisse scores his fifth goal in six league games
  • Arouna Kone grabs his first goal for Everton
  • Everton with one win in seven league games

Newcastle recorded their first league win in four games as they beat out-of-form Everton at St James' Park.

It was the Toffees' fourth league loss in five matches, although they made the ideal start when Arouna Kone fired in.

Papiss Cisse swept home to level from Mike Williamson's pull-back, before Ayoze Perez drove in from 18 yards.

Jack Colback then pounced on Ross Barkley's mistake to poke home the third before Kevin Mirallas set up a tense finale with a clipped finish.

Newcastle 3-2 Everton: Jack Colback is a true Geordie

That is now only one league victory in seven for Everton and their third successive defeat. Bar the win over QPR, this month has been one to forget for manager Roberto Martinez.

The Spaniard's second season in charge of the Toffees has so far failed to match the high standards of the first, with the side 16 points worse off than they were at this stage last term.

Everton have problems all over the pitch. Only the Hoops have conceded more goals than them, while in attack the goals are not flowing. Striker Romelu Lukaku was a success last season while on loan, but since becoming a £28m permanent signing he has failed to rediscover that form.

The Belgian was demoted to the bench in one of seven changes made to the first XI by Martinez, with Kone and Samuel Eto'o starting.

And Kone, who was making his full debut for the visitors having missed 18 months with injury, repaid his manager's faith in him with his first goal for the club after just five minutes. The Ivory Coast striker drifted past his markers to convert from close range from Seamus Coleman's cross.

That was the 12th goal the Magpies had conceded in the last four league outings and at that stage the signs looked worrying for Alan Pardew's faltering side.

But the Newcastle manager has a potent duo up front - Cisse and Perez. It was the Senegal international who pulled the scores level shortly before the break, when he was in the right position to drive in after defender Williamson salvaged a ball that looked like it was going out of the play.

Time to get some basics right - Martinez

Perez - a revelation since his £1.5m move from Tenerife - then put Newcastle into the lead when he wriggled past his markers on the edge of the area before drilling a shot through the legs of Coleman and past keeper Joel Robles.

With a spring in their steps, the Magpies added a third when Colback scored his first goal for his boyhood club after Barkley's attempted clearance from Daryl Janmaat fell at the midfielder's feet.

Mirallas gave the visitors hope when he raced forward before placing his shot past Jak Alnwick, but Newcastle held on.

Newcastle assistant John Carver, who did the post-match conference:

"Alan [Pardew] didn't say why I was doing the press, he just told me to do the press.

"He's delighted with the win. We've had a run of games where we've not managed to win.

"This has been one of our best performances in recent times."

Everton manager Roberto Martinez:

"The form is concerning because we're not in a good moment in terms of being able to carry the suspensions and injuries.

"It seems that everything that could have gone against us in the last couple of games, it went wrong and you don't want that to creep in and create a bit of a negative momentum.

"If you look at the performance today, we had a really good start, the right approach we scored two very good goals from open play and the disappointment is that moment where we conceded the first goal."

St James' Park
It was a crisp winter's day at St James' Park
Everton's Arouna Kone scores
Everton's Arouna Kone nips in to score his first goal for the club
Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse
Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse levels with his fifth goal in his last six league games

Line-ups

Newcastle

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 31Alnwick
  • 22Janmaat
  • 6Williamson
  • 2Coloccini
  • 36DummettBooked at 90mins
  • 24Tioté
  • 14Colback
  • 7Sissoko
  • 17Pérez
  • 11GouffranBooked at 27minsSubstituted forCabellaat 90+1'minutes
  • 9CisséSubstituted forRiviereat 73'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Santon
  • 8Anita
  • 20Cabella
  • 27Taylor
  • 29Riviere
  • 32A Armstrong
  • 41Woodman

Everton

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Robles
  • 23Coleman
  • 30AlcarazBooked at 71mins
  • 15Distin
  • 29Garbutt
  • 16McCarthyBooked at 28minsSubstituted forBarkleyat 45'minutes
  • 18Barry
  • 7McGeadySubstituted forMirallasat 61'minutes
  • 5Eto'o
  • 3Baines
  • 9KonéSubstituted forLukakuat 72'minutes

Substitutes

  • 8Oviedo
  • 10Lukaku
  • 11Mirallas
  • 17Besic
  • 20Barkley
  • 27Browning
  • 45Griffiths
Referee:
Craig Pawson
Attendance:
52,313

Match Stats

Home TeamNewcastleAway TeamEverton
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home13
Away9
Shots on Target
Home6
Away2
Corners
Home8
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Newcastle United 3, Everton 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Newcastle United 3, Everton 2.

  3. Booking

    Paul Dummett (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card.

  4. Post update

    Offside, Newcastle United. Ayoze Pérez tries a through ball, but Emmanuel Rivière is caught offside.

  5. Post update

    Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the right side of the box. Assisted by Moussa Sissoko.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Emmanuel Rivière (Newcastle United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cheick Tioté.

  7. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Rémy Cabella (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul Dummett.

  8. Post update

    Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Leighton Baines (Everton).

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Cheick Tioté (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul Dummett.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Newcastle United. Rémy Cabella replaces Yoan Gouffran.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Emmanuel Rivière (Newcastle United).

  13. Post update

    Antolin Alcaraz (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kevin Mirallas (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Jack Colback (Newcastle United).

  16. Post update

    Ross Barkley (Everton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Goal!

    Goal! Newcastle United 3, Everton 2. Kevin Mirallas (Everton) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Leighton Baines with a through ball.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United).

  19. Post update

    Seamus Coleman (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.