WOULDN'T you just know it? After a turbulent week for Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy, the Newcastle United strikers produced goals of varying quality but equal importance to catapult their side back among the Premiership front-runners.

A remarkable show of defiance by an Everton team hamstrung by the 24th-minute sending off of Joseph Yobo was on the verge of completion when Shearer, precluded from Champions League competition until the last week in February, brought the visitors to their knees with a sublime goal from 25 yards.

Richard Wright looked impregnable and had not conceded a Premiership goal for 618 minutes until Shearer supplied a strike of such power and accuracy that the Everton goalkeeper was rendered helpess.

His venomous 86th-minute volley gave Newcastle a foothold in a match that appeared to be slipping away, having trailed for much of the afternoon to Kevin Campbell's early effort.

The perfect ending was still to come, however. Having frustrated the home side for so long with heroic defending, Everton suddenly appeared vulnerable.

Newcastle, sensing that they were confronted by a wounded animal, went for the kill, and it was Bellamy - castigated for his impetulance against Internazionale - who provided the coup de grace.

Snaking clear of Thomas Gravesen and Tony Hibbert, and cutting along the left byline, the Wales striker turned the ball across goal.

His effort struck Li Tie and deflected into the Everton net via the outstretched leg of the wrong-footed Wright. A minute from the end of normal time, and the roar that emanated from the Newcastle fans at St James' Park was one of relief rather than jubilation.

For Sir Bobby Robson's side, who have now come from behind to win on four occasions in the league this season, had sailed so close to the wind this time that even their most ardent fans had all but given up hope of taking even a point from the game.

Just as Everton had turned into the arch exponents of the 1-0 victory, having travelled to Tyneside buoyed by a run of five successes by that scoreline, so Newcastle had overturned a deficit to win 2-1 against West Bromwich Albion, Charlton Athletic and Southampton.

Certainly, the message that screamed at Robson and Co after yesterday's game was that they cannot continue to defend so abjectly and expect to remain a Premiership force.

Perhaps Newcastle deserved to win on the basis of their dominance of possession and territory following the departure of Yobo, who was sent off after clipping Bellamy's ankles as the forward raced through on the Everton goal.

But the Blues' defensive effort - a performance that was so gutsy and successful until the dramatic finale that Newcastle were booed by their frustrated fans 15 minutes from time - merited more than a cruel defeat that brought to an end their six-game winning streak in the league.

In contrast to Everton's indefatigable backline, Newcastle's rearguard looks as porous as ever. Nikos Dabizas was "rested", according to Robson, but his replacement Steven Caldwell was culpable as they fell behind after 16 minutes.

A routine long punt forward from David Unsworth that ought to have caused Newcastle little trouble found Campbell in space between Caldwell and Andy O'Brien.

Campbell burst through, and as Shay Given advanced the Everton captain forced the ball between the goalkeeper's legs and into the net.

That further subdued a home support that seemed to be suffering from a Champions League hangover following their chastening chasing from Inter on Wednesday.

Shortly afterwards, though, came the incident that forced upon Everton a grim struggle for survival. From Shearer's flick-on Bellamy managed to get in behind Yobo, who tried valiantly to get goalside of the attacker.

As Bellamy surged forward and ran across Yobo's bows, the Nigeria defender's legs became entangled with those of the £6m man and he came crashing to earth.

Referee Mark Halsey, who got little else right on the day, had no option but to send off Yobo - even though he had not attempted to illegally halt Bellamy's progress.

From then on, Everton displayed courage and no lack of quality as they hung on to the lead that would have taken them above Liverpool in the table.

Shearer had a header turned over by Wright, who also blocked a Nobby Solano drive at his near post and saw an Andy Griffin drive flash past his goal.

Kieron Dyer scooped a shot wide, and as Newcastle became increasingly desperate O'Brien headed narrowly off target after a rare lapse in the Everton defence left him in space 12 yards out.

As the Magpies strove for an equaliser, so Everton always looked capable of snatching a second goal on the break as the communication lines between the home defenders continued to appear faulty.

Tomasz Radzinski and Li Tie were given sights of goal by Newcastle, who sacrificed Caldwell for an extra forward in the shape of Shola Ameobi in the final nine minutes.

The change paid almost immediate dividends. Ameobi nodded Laurent Robert's high ball to Shearer, and the erstwhile England captain unleashed a shot that scorched beyond Wright.

Then came Bellamy's moment of inspiration, and whether the Dubious Goals Panel will strip the 23-year-old of his fifth strike of the season will matter little to him today.

Robert almost added a third in stoppage time, but another goal would have been too painful for Everton to bear.

Shearer and Bellamy, the villains on Wednesday night, had already inflicted enough punishment on the men from Moyseyside.