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Blues Bounce Back with Important Win

A huge win at Newcastle for Moyes and his men that gets them back to winning ways with their fourth away victory of the campaign.

Newcastle United 1 - 2 Everton

If a hugely encouraging 2012 had come to a frustrating close, Everton ushered in 2013 with a bang, overcoming another partially self-inflicted early wound to level the game with a stunning Leighton Baines free kick and then win it in the second half with a determined victory over Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Sunday's defeat to Chelsea, only their seventh in the previous calendar year, felt like a kick to the groin given how much the Blues had put into the game only to find Lady Luck looking the other way, but despite continuing problems with injuries, David Moyes's side bounced back immediately to reclaim fifth place in the Premier League and start the year just two points off the Champions League places.

In the context of the disappointment at the weekend and Papisse Cissé's second-minute goal, this was a big performance from Everton and an equally important result. Darron Gibson and Kevin Mirallas were missing from the midfield and Phil Jagielka had to deputise at right back again in the injured Seamus Coleman's absence, but Marouane Fellaini made a crucial return to the starting XI following a three-match ban.

Though not at his most effective overall, the Belgian was a constant thorn in the Magpies' side and he was instrumental in the move that led to the winning goal on the hour mark from substitute Victor Anichebe.

That goal from the substitute capped a laudable recovery by the Blues from more sloppy defending early on that had gifted Cissé the opportunity to guide a looping header over the stranded Tim Howard. Tim Krul had launched a long ball forward, John Heitinga mis-timed his jump as he challenged Shola Ameobi and Cissé lost the otherwise superb Sylvain Distin to head home.

To their credit, though, Everton responded by taking the game by the scruff of the neck and not letting go until half time. For long periods, though, it looked as though Krul would single-handedly keep the Blues at bay. The Dutch keeper made a one-handed save at full stretch to turn Baines' free kick around the post after Chike Tiote had fouled Steven Pienaar in the sixth minute and he was off his line quickly to smother a close-range shot by the Blues' left back a minute later after Heitinga had sprung the offside trap with a long ball from the halfway line.

The visitors were employing a mixture of raking balls forward looking for Fellaini or the second ball and the quick, neat passing that has underpinned much of their success so far this season but they were much more effective with the ball on the ground. So it proved mid-way through the first half when Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic combined to create a clear opening but Fellaini seemed to hesitate a fraction too long and Davide Santon got across to block his goalbound shot.

A similarly good chance was orchestrated a few minutes later when Fellaini put Pienaar in behind the defence with a beautifully-weighted through-ball but Krul raced off his line and won the one-on-one face-off with a smart save.

In between, Everton survived a scare when James Perch headed a free kick off the post and Neville survived a convincing penalty claim by Ameobi as he tumbled under the midfielder's challenge in the box.

But when Fellaini went to ground under an apparently illegal challenge by Fabricio Coloccini, it set up an audacious direct free kick opportunity for Baines, one he grabbed with both hands with an explosive 30-yard shot that swerved beyond the wrong-footed Krul and bulged the net to send the Blues into the half-time break all square.

In truth, Everton emerged from the break lacking the intensity with which they had dominated the first after going behind and when Heitinga was rolled all too easily by Ameobi and picked up a booking for his trouble, Sylvain Marveaux hammered a free kick into the wall. But referee Martin Atkinson evened up the unawarded penalty claims when Steven Naismith was slammed to the ground by Tiote while the players jostled for a corner and Jelavic was caught near the eye by Coloccini's raised arm but nothing was given.

In the 57th minute, Ameobi was again a source of consternation in the Blues' defence when he took down Anita's impressive ball over the top but, thankfully, he flicked it wide of Howard's left-hand post from close range.

Three minutes after that, with Naismith having just been replaced by Anichebe, Everton went ahead with another flowing move on the counter-attack. Fellaini executed a trademark chest-down-and-pass that released the ever-industrious Jelavic down the left flank and he faked to cut inside before continuing his charge forward and fired a low pass across the six-yard box. Anichebe arrived on cue to slide it home emphatically with his first touch and silence the home crowd.

With half an hour to play, it would remain an uncomfortably slender lead but Newcastle would eventually run out of ideas, trying by turns to unsettle Heitinga with long balls forward or driving in from the flanks with pace. Gabriel Obertan was allowed to charge into the area with blue shirts backing off but Howard made an excellent stop with his legs to divert his shot behind for a corner and Cisse was denied twice in quick succession as his header from a deep cross hit Jagielka near the goalline and then Howard as he prodded the rebound goalwards from the floor.

Fellaini then made a mug of his marker by slipping the ball past him and rampaging towards the penalty area but tumbled in a tangle of legs in the "D" and Baines curled the resulting free kick inches wide of the post with Krul beaten.

Newcastle's best chance to grab a point was spurned, though, with just four minutes left of the regulation 90 when Santon was put clean through on the left side of the area with Howard in front of him and two black-and-white jerseys free in front of goal to his right. He elected to take the shot from the angle, one that the American beat away well for another corner, leaving his teammates lamenting his greed. A let-off for the Blues who would play out the remaining 10 minutes — six additional minutes were added for substitutions and a clash of heads between Neville and Anichebe — in relative comfort.

So, a huge win for Moyes and his men that gets them back to winning ways with their fourth away victory of the campaign. More than that, it keeps them fully in the hunt for Europe and adds a boost in morale for a group of players who have battled through a busy festive programme and picked up nine points from 12. Pienaar, Distin, Baines and Howard stood out for special praise but there were some tired legs on show in the second half and Moyes may make some judicious changes for the FA Cup tie at Cheltenham on Monday that will allow some rest for a few players who have run themselves ragged in recent games.

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