Gary Speed took all the stick, while his old club clawed their way to a
priceless point in their battle to avoid relegation.
The former Everton skipper came back to Goodison Park for the first time since
his acrimonious departure earlier in the month, and left with his ears burning.
But that was little more than a sideshow to a poor match that Newcastle
dominated but could not take all the points.
Everton, to their credit, battled and scrapped for every inch, and the point
takes them five clear of the drop zone.
Speed was subjected to the sort of abuse he must surely have expected on his
return to Everton following the £6million move to Newcastle earlier this month.
Everton had Don Hutchison making his debut, and John O'Kane his first
appearance at Goodison Park, playing in an unfamiliar midfield role.
The lack of nine senior players, including suspended inspirational skipper
Duncan Ferguson, weighed heavily on this youthful outfit.
The tough old hands at the back, Slaven Bilic, Carl Tiler and Craig Short,
held the side together under a sustained onslaught.
Thomas Myhre, Everton's hero in the drawn Mersey derby on Monday, flapped
badly at a high ball after seven minutes, managing to palm the ball out for
Keith Gillespie to lob onto the roof of the net.
But the Norwegian goalkeeper was outstanding from then on.
Speed was jeered every time he touched the ball, and a clattering late tackle
on new boy Hutchison right in front of the dug-outs hardly calmed the animosity
pouring down from the Everton faithful.
The first sign of Alan Shearer's potency came after 17 minutes when a fine
pass from David Batty sent the England skipper away on the right. He cut into
the box and drilled a low shot inches wide of the upright.
Newcastle built up a head of steam, and Shearer put Robert Lee in on the right
after 20 minutes. The England man jinked away from two defenders before firing a
low cross that was hacked away.
Danny Cadamarteri stood up bravely to a battering from Philippe Albert, but
got few opportunities to use his pace and trickery.
However, he got away once down the right in the first half, delayed his cross
with impressive composure, and picked out Gareth Farrelly on the edge of the
box, the Irish midfielder striking a vicious volley inches over.
Another excellent chip pass over the defence by Batty found Shearer in space,
and his volley on the run fizzed over the bar.
Newcastle were being constantly gifted possession by Everton's defenders, with
the Farrelly-Hutchison-O'Kane midfield trio coming out second best to Batty, Lee
and Speed, although Hutchison displayed good technique and endeavour.
Myhre did exceptionally well to narrow the angle and block an Andreas
Andersson break, while substitute Temuri Ketsbaia and Stuart Pearce both had
angled drives blocked by last-ditch defending.
Kendall replaced O'Kane with the more attacking John Oster, and it helped to
give Everton more of the possession as Newcastle continued to waste their
superiority.
Seconds from the end Shearer spun in the box to hook a Speed header inches
over and somehow Everton had survived.
Everton: Myhre, Ward (Allen 74), Short, Bilic, Tiler, Ball,
O'Kane (Oster 57), Farrelly, Hutchison, Madar, Cadamarteri.
Subs Not Used: Jevons, Gerrard, Watson.
Newcastle: Given, Barton, Batty, Howey, Lee, Shearer, Speed,
Pearce, Gillespie, Albert, Andersson.
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Peacock, Barnes, Ketsbaia, Tomasson.
Booked: Lee.
Att: 37,972
Ref: M A Riley (Leeds).
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