Magpies let Everton off hook

With a commendable sense of unity, and a refusal to accept defeat, the Champions League hopefuls shrugged off the disappointment of conceding an early opener to strengthen their position on the coat-tails of both Chelsea and Arsenal.

The fans also watched Newcastle United and, while some of the home side's football was as good as anything seen at St James' Park this season, their inability to close a ten-point gap on surprise packages Everton leaves them embroiled in a messy mid-table battle that threatens to undermine their European ambitions.

It wasn't that the Magpies played badly. Their passing was slick, their build-up play was measured and, in Craig Bellamy, they possessed the most potent attacking threat on the pitch.

But, for the third Premiership home game in a row, Newcastle failed to get what they arguably deserved for their efforts over 90 minutes.

Profligate finishing turned territorial dominance against Fulham into a 4-1 defeat, defensive mistakes saw Manchester United earn a 3-1 win, and yesterday the two factors combined to let a lively but limited Everton off the hook.

On another day, the Magpies could have coasted to a three-goal win. But unless a few of those 'other days' come soon, they will be out of the Champions League race by Christmas and relying on their UEFA Cup run to provide a return ticket to the continent.

The home side carved out four clear-cut openings in a one-sided first half.

But after Bellamy opened the scoring in the fifth minute, a combination of poor finishing, wonderful defending and the woodwork kept them at bay.

The second half saw more of the same, with Bellamy hitting the post before passing up a glorious opportunity to grab a dramatic winner one minute from time.

Inbetween times, Aaron Hughes' clumsy challenge allowed Lee Carsley to curl a pinpoint free-kick into the corner of Shay Given's net and, while United's defending was largely impressive, their propensity for shooting themselves in the foot could have seen Marcus Bent compound their misery by robbing them of all three points.

Flowing football and pinpoint passing is all well and good, but even a cursory glance at the league table proves it does not guarantee success.

Neither Everton nor Bolton excel in the finer points of the game, yet they have taken four points from Newcastle this season and both lie well ahead of the Magpies.

Both of those sides make the best of what is available to them. But while Souness' side ultimately failed on that score, they could not have wished for a more clinical start.

Bellamy gave Newcastle an early lead when Everton last visited Tyneside in April and, for the second season in a row, the Wales international opened the scoring within the first five minutes.

Lee Bowyer flicked Given's long clearance into his feet and, after playing a quickfire one-two with Patrick Kluivert, Bellamy found himself bearing down on Nigel Martyn's goal.

If there has been one criticism of the 25-year-old in the past, it has been his tendency to lose his head when presented with such clear-cut openings and, ultimately, his age-old failings were to re-appear yesterday.

He kept his head admirably on this occasion though, stroking the ball beyond Martyn to make it three goals in three games.

Everton's defence had conceded just four goals on their travels all season but, with Newcastle's one-touch passing carving them open at regular intervals, the visitors could count themselves lucky not to have fallen further behind by the interval.

David Moyes' side might have had an extra midfielder because of their 4-5-1 formation. But with Jermaine Jenas working feverishly from one end of the pitch to the other, it was Newcastle who constantly seemed to have a spare man when they broke forward.

Jenas broke beyond the Everton defence following the game's second wonderful one-two - again involving Kluivert - only for Martyn to tip his low drive around the post.

Then, ten minutes later, United's stand-in skipper watched his acrobatic volley rebound off the crossbar after Bellamy's attempted pass had looped off former Newcastle full-back Alessandro Pistone.

Bellamy's pace was a constant threat to the rather more immobile David Weir and, with Kluivert also holding his own in an aerial battle with Alan Stubbs, the duo combined to carve out another fine opening five minutes before half-time.

Laurent Robert's header sent Bellamy galloping down the left flank and, after his cross was only partially cleared, Kluivert saw his goal-bound volley cleared off the line by Stubbs.

Everton had been non-existent as an attacking force up to that point, but they hinted at what was just around the corner when the industrious Tim Cahill backheeled the ball narrowly wide to end a scramble in the six-yard box following Thomas Gravesen's corner.

Everton could have been two down at the start of the second half - Kieron Dyer shooting into the side netting from an acute angle - but, despite persistent Newcastle pressure, the home side paid heavily for one mistimed tackle on the edge of their own box.

Hughes fouled the ever-willing Bent, and Carsley gave Given no chance with a superb set-piece that curled into the right-hand corner of the net.

Bellamy rattled the post three minutes later after cutting in from the left flank but, with the game becoming stretched, Bent almost gave Everton the lead with 15 minutes left.

Gravesen capitalised on an unexpected but hardly uncharacteristic mistake from Bramble, but Bent fired wide after ghosting past Given.

Newcastle found themselves camped inside the Everton half as full-time approached but, after Dyer tumbled in the box under minimal pressure from Kevin Kilbane, Bellamy passed up a golden opportunity for a winner.

Receiving Kluivert's pull-back on the penalty spot, the Newcastle striker steadied himself, took aim, and proceeded to blast the ball against Pistone's back.

After showing such composure at the start, he finished in something of a fluster.

Newcastle did exactly the same and, while similar performances will bring their reward eventually, many more results like this may mean it is too late to make a difference.

Result: Newcastle United 1 Everton 1.

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