John Stones hails Everton defence

Everton defender John Stones has praised his team's defensive performance during their 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Tuesday evening.

The Blues won their fourth successive match in the Premier League as they kept alive their hopes of finishing inside the top four.

"I've got to give a lot of credit to the boys in front of me and Sylvain [Distin]," he told the club's official website. "They did a fantastic job today and a lot of credit goes to them.

"We were very clinical in the final third and me, Sylvain, Bainesy (Leighton Baines) and Seamus [Coleman] had to do our job at the back. It was a very satisfying win."

Stones joined Everton from Barnsley in January 2013 and has made 14 appearances in the league this season.