Everton gave themselves a great chance of Premiership survival with a
comprehensive victory at lacklustre Newcastle.
Two goals from on-loan striker Kevin Campbell - the first after 42 seconds -
and a late strike from Scot Gemmill handed the Merseysiders three precious
points as Ruud Gullit's side suffered a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's show'
following last week's FA Cup semi-final heroics.
Alan Shearer pulled one back with a penalty eight minutes from time, but a
31st-minute miss from the spot by the England striker was partly to blame for
his side's defeat.
United missed a host of chances on a day when they never reached the heights
they had in the latter stages last weekend, and Everton, well marshalled by Don
Hutchison in midfield and Dave Watson at the back, were good value for their
victory.
Former Blues striker Duncan Ferguson was never expected to be in the starting
line-up despite his comeback from injury in last Sunday's FA Cup semi-final
victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
But his absence from the bench did come as something of a surprise even though
assistant boss Steve Clarke revealed in midweek that the big Scot, singled out
by Shearer as the man who could win the cup for the Magpies, would be wrapped in
cotton wool until he is back to full fitness.
Steve Howey's injury meant a starting place for Aaron Hughes, and 20-year-old
defender David Beharall was handed a Premiership debut alongside the Northern
Ireland international.
Hutchison returned from suspension for 16th-placed Everton, but Nicky Barmby
had to sit out after picking up a one-match ban.
If fielding a defence containing two 20-year-olds and a 19-year-old was
something of a gamble by United boss Ruud Gullit, it was one which exploded in
his face almost immediately.
The game was only 42 seconds old when Hutchison picked out Campbell's forward
run, and with a distinct absence of black and white shirts around him, he slid
the ball past Shay Given to give his side the perfect start.
Croatian Silvio Maric went close to an equaliser seconds later when he broke
down the right and fired in a fierce shot which Thomas Myhre did well to turn
away.
Francis Jeffers passed up a fine chance to double his side's lead with just
six minutes gone when he wasted Hutchison's ball over the top by blasting his
shot high over the bar.
Shearer almost pulled it level on 14 minutes when he curled a free-kick only
just wide after Gemmill had brought down Temuri Ketsbaia 25 yards out.
But it was Maric who was guilty of another bad miss three minutes later after
Andy Griffin played him in but he delayed his shot and Myhre was able to block.
Dietmar Hamann went close with a 23rd-minute free-kick which, had it been a
foot more to the right, would have beaten Myhre comfortably, but the keeper
redeemed himself in fine style 14 minutes before the break.
Shearer and Weir went up to compete for Ketsbaia's cross from the right, and
when the ball struck the defender's hand, referee Graham Poll pointed to the
spot.
The United skipper, who earlier in the week had expressed his sympathy for
Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp after his semi-final miss, struck his shot to the
keeper's right, but Myhre guessed correctly to palm the ball away.
Campbell rubbed salt into the wound two minutes before half-time when he fed
Jeffers wide on the right and then arrived at the near post to tuck the
resulting cross past Beharall and Given to make it 2-0.
Newcastle returned in determined mood, but could not make the breakthrough in
the face of some fine defending from veteran Watson in particular.
Ketsbaia shot harmlessly wide on 51 minutes following good work by Maric and
Hamann, and Speed did the same a minute later after playing a neat one-two with
the Georgian.
Gullit waited until 11 minutes of the second half had gone to change things
around, bringing French striker Louis Saha on for Maric and pushing Warren
Barton into midfield to leave just three men at the back.
But it was the visitors who almost extended their lead six minutes later as
Craig Short played a long free-kick up to Campbell.
The striker headed the ball down for Jeffers and then took his pass to shoot
toward the bottom corner, Given getting down well to deny him a hat-trick.
Rob Lee forced Myhre to save well with a solid volley on 68 minutes, but
Shearer was left to reflect on another missed opportunity three minutes later
when he shot straight at the keeper after being put through by Hamann.
The United skipper got it right from the penalty spot eight minutes from time
after being hauled down by Watson, and just failed to scramble the ball past
Myhre three minutes later in a frantic finish.
Gemmill cemented his side's victory with 88 minutes gone as he latched on to
Hughes' poor header and drilled the ball past Given.
Teams
Newcastle: Given, Beharall, Lee, Speed, Shearer, Hughes, Barton,
Ketsbaia (Solano 75), Griffin, Hamann, Maric (Saha 55).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Pearce, Andersson.
Booked: Lee.
Goals: Shearer 82 pen.
Everton: Myhre, Ball, Dacourt, Watson, Unsworth,
Campbell (Bakayoko 62), Hutchison, Gemmill, Short, Weir,
Jeffers (Cadamarteri 82).
Subs Not Used: Gerrard, Ward, Degn.
Booked: Short, Gemmill.
Goals: Campbell 1, 44, Gemmill 88.
Att: 36,775
Ref: G Poll (Tring).
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