Everton 2-2 Newcastle: Toon pull it back from the brink

Joe Kinnear will keep on swearing and ranting if it helps to drag Newcastle back from the brink like this.

Perched in the directors' box, Kinnear cursed and grimaced his way through a first half that had the Geordies two down until injury time, and looking clueless. Then came a stirring revival.

Poor Joe missed both Newcastle goals, as he scurried up and down to the dressing rooms either side of half-time. He even admitted to busting his mobile phone as he tried to communicate with his bench as frustrations bubbled over.

But at the end of a controversial week, Kinnear and his players can be happy at a job well done. At last some fighting spirit, aggression and character to end a miserable five game losing streak. Kinnear's F-word raving last week will go down in football legend. But with a few decent results maybe his paranoia will subside, and he'll realise the world is not against him.

Bizarrely Kin near attacked reporters on Sky again yesterday saying he'd never speak to the newspapers again... only to appear in the Goodison Park press room three minutes later to do just that. "It was only a joke," he said.

And for the record, he didn't swear once.

Local-boy Steven Taylor sparked a remarkable rally, heading the Toon's first and setting up the equaliser. "At 2-0 down I bet you all though we were down and out, but we weren't. The lads gave me everything," added Kinnear.

Belief and confidence coursed back into Newcastle after Taylor pulled a goal back on the brink of half-time, and spectacularly ebbed away from Everton.

Goodison boss David Moyes saw his men booed off at the end, after nerves and lack of confidence paralysed his side in the second half. "We are a bit fragile at the moment," said Moyes, after Everton blew the chance of an elusive first home win of the season.

"We were comfortable for 45 minutes until they scored. We gave them a lifeline. We are fragile and anxiety crept in.

Asked about the booing, Moyes said: "We kept trying to work hard. People can come and support. They are disappointed because we didn't win the game."

Newcastle's performance in the opening 44 minutes was desperately poor. Everton hardly looked world beaters themselves, yet they took a two-goal lead within 35minutes. The opener came from a stonewall penalty when Nicky Butt tripped Leighton Baines as he broke into the box as Leon Osman sprung the Newcastle defence.

Mikel Arteta slotted home his second of the season to settle his side's nerves. Everton were two to the good after a neat move involving two back-heels and a perfect cross to the near post by the impressive Baines. When the left back fired in his teasing centre, lanky midfielder Marouane Fellaini was predictably unmarked as he ghosted in to volley home.

Newcastle mustered a flurry of chances which saw shots from Damien Duff and Danny Guthrie being saved by Tim Howard in the home goal. The third chance in a matter of seconds came when defender Taylor crashed in a shot that was chested off the line by Baines.

Taylor deserved his good fortune in first-half injury time. He is a young lad tr ying to shoulder a big responsibility at his crisis hit club.

Geremi seized a loose ball when Yakubu's flick went awry, and crossed deep for Taylor to rise above Tony Hibbert and power home from a tight angle to give United an unlikely lifeline.

Taylor played a key role in Newcastle levelling with just two minutes of the second half gone.

Butt's ball down the wing beat the offside trap and left Taylor with time and space on the byline. He waited for Duff's surge into the box and picked him out with precision.

Newcastle could have won it but for Baines again clearing off the line brilliantly, this time from Charles N'Zogbia.

Kinnear wants to leave Newcastle in a better position than when he took charge. On this evidence he may well do just that.

He just needs to lose the chip on his shoulder.

At the end of a controversal week, Kinnear and his men can be happy at a job well done. At last some spirit.

COMPUTER

EVERTON

NEWCASTLE

TOON EARN THEIR STRIPES

48% BALL POSSESSION 52%

FACE TO FACE

3 Corners 5

1 Offside 3

77% Pass completion 70%

16 Tackles 22

18 Fouls 14

1 Cards 3

SHOTS

10 off target 2

4 on target 5

MAN OF THE MATCH

(Worth an extra two Fantasy League points)

Steven Taylor (NEWCASTLE) 8

Scored and set up the other goal. Great attitude and determination

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH

Jose Enrique (NEWCASTLE) 4

Subbed early as he developed a limp when the going got tough

ANORAK

Louis Saha made 12 appearances for the Toon, on loan from Metz from Jan 99 to June 2000

NEXT THREE GAMES

EVERTON

Sat Oct 18: Arsenal (a) Prem

Sat Oct 25: Man Utd (h) Prem

Tue Oct 28: Bolton (a) Prem

NEWCASTLE

MonOct 20: Man City (h) Prem

Sat Oct 25: Sunderland (a) Prem

Tue Oct 28: West Brom (h) Prem

Everton: Howard 7, Hibbert 5, Jagielka 6, Lescott 6, Baines 8, Arteta 6, Osman 6, Fellaini 7, Pienaar 6 (Vaughan 84), Saha 5, Yakubu 6.

Goals: Arteta 17 pen, Fellaini 35

Newcastle: Given 7, Taylor 8, Coloccini 6, Cacapa 7, Jose Enrique 4 (Bassong 39, 7), Geremi 6 (Ameobi 75, 6), Butt 6, Guthrie 7, N'Zogbia 7, Owen, Duff 7.

Goals: Taylor 45, Duff 47

Referee: Howard Webb

ATTENDANCE: 33,805.

Joe Kinnear was on his best behaviour yesterday, but if you still haven't heard last week's amazing outburst log on to www.mirror.co.uk/sport

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