Late drama unfolded at Goodison Park tonight as Newcastle United twice came from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw with Everton.
Leighton Baines handed the Toffees the lead in the first half, before a strike from substitute Demba Ba levelled it early in the second period.
Everton thought they had won it late on when Victor Anichebe headed over the line, but the goal was not given, although replays clearly showed that the goal should have stood.
Anichebe did find the net moments later, however, only for Ba to score his second in the final minute to secure a share of the spoils.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Everton:
Shots 17
On target 10
Possession 50%
Corners 3
Fouls 16
Newcastle:
Shots 11
On target 7
Possession 50%
Corners 3
Fouls 12
Was the result fair?
It's a difficult question. Everton dominated the opening half of football and should have led by much more than a singular goal at the break. Newcastle certainly improved in the second period, but the home side remained such a threat in advanced areas. The header from Anichebe should have stood, but that aside, Everton just about deserved the three points.
Everton's performance
7/10. On their first-half display, Everton would be a match for any side in the Premier League. Their movement and passing was of the highest order, but they simply did not take their chances. They faded after the break, but still carried a threat in attacking areas. Marouane Fellaini was not as potent as he might have been, but Kevin Mirallas enjoyed an extremely productive first Premier League start. David Moyes has assembled a really good team at Goodison Park and I fancy them to have a big season.
Newcastle's performance
6/10. In truth, Newcastle were awful in the first period. They were completely outplayed in all areas of the pitch and did not offer an attacking threat of any kind. That changed after the introduction of Ba at the break, and they did have a host of good chances in the second period. On the balance of play, they will be extremely happy with the point as they travel back up to Newcastle.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Leighton Baines: It was close between Baines and Ba, but the England defender gets it for his contribution in the first half. He scored a wonderful opener after 15 minutes and was just irresistible down the left side of attack. As if that wasn't enough, he also cleared a Vurnon Anita shot off the line in the first half.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Unfortunately this goes to linesman Ceri Richards. The lino failed to spot that Anichebe's header had crossed the line and ultimately may have cost the home side three points. It is a really difficult task for modern day officials, but you need them to get the big decisions correct.
Referee performance
It was a nice quiet evening for Mike Jones, not. He disallowed a Fellaini goal in the second period, although no blame can be attached for his role in the Anichebe header. He also brought play back for a foul on Hatem Ben Arfa even though the Frenchman was one-on-one with Tim Howard. Meanwhile, he might have sent Fellaini off for a high challenge on Mike Williamson in the second period.
What next?
Everton: Everton will look to return to winning ways in the league against Swansea City next weekend before facing a trip to Leeds United in the League Cup.
Newcastle: The Magpies begin their Europa League campaign against Maritimo on Thursday before hosting Norwich City in the league on Sunday.
Matt Law
