Thierno Barry grabs only goal as Everton defeat 10-man Newcastle

Newcastle were condemned to a second defeat in five days by Everton

Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek let a shot from the left by Everton's Tyrique George squirm under his body, and Thierno Barry gratefully tapped the ball into an empty net. Pic: Annabel Lee-Ellis/Press Association.

Premier League: Newcastle 0 Everton 1

Jack Grealish will do well to get back into the Everton starting lineup when he returns to the squad – as David Moyes’s side are doing just fine without him.

Newcastle were condemned to a second defeat in five days by Moyes’s young team, with a goal from Thierno Barry giving Everton victory against 10 men at St James’ Park.

And there are still more questions than answers about Matthias Jaissle’s new-look team following a summer of transition at the club, and fans again voiced their disapproval at the end of the game.

Newcastle fans had made their feelings about the 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat away to Everton last Thursday clear to Jaissle, who has found himself under pressure early in his tenure. By the time he had gone on to the pitch Hill Dickinson Stadium to acknowledge their backing, most of the 7,732 travelling supporters had headed for the exits.

Eddie Howe was always going to be a hard act to follow given what he achieved in his first four years as head coach at St James’ Park, but the summer departures of Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier, and his own 11th-hour arrival, has made the job even harder for Jaissle, who will surely be hoping for more reinforcements in the January transfer window.

Moyes’s job, meanwhile, has not been made any easier by Grealish’s breach of club discipline, and the winger, who was not involved in the cup game between the two sides after missing a training session without permission, was again left out of the squad. However, Moyes did welcome back Jarrad Branthwaite, with the defender having missed two games due to concussion protocols.

Harvey Barnes, one of the biggest threats in the home team, twice cut in from the left on to his favoured right foot early in the match, but was not able to make the space he found count. Joelinton had a shot on the turn blocked by James Tarkowski during a spell of Newcastle pressure, but neither team was convincing on the ball in a scrappy first half hour.

Frustration bubbled away beneath the surface at St James’ Park, a stadium which can be a cauldron when fans are given something to shout about. But the decibel levels were rarely raised in the first half. Barnes cut inside for a third time late in the half, and an awkward deflection off Branthwaite momentarily had Jordan Pickford worried, but, in truth, neither he nor Lukas Hornicek in the home goal were troubled in the first 45 minutes. Jake O’Brien and Harrison Armstrong had chances for Everton late in the half, but both shot wide.

Hornicek, however, was finally tested early in the second half – and a mistake from him gifted Barry a goal. The goalkeeper let a shot from the left from Tyrique George squirm under his body, and Barry gratefully tapped the ball into an empty net.

Newcastle have given a number of soft goals away this season, and Jaissle will have been unhappy at how easily his team was opened up by Everton, who pressed for a second goal before Yoane Wissa and Sean Steur were sent on in place of Joe Willock and Nico González.

Steur, after a hugely promising start to life at St James’ Park, has found himself on the bench in recent games to the bemusement of some supporters given how well he performance early in the season following his move from Ajax. Soon after Steur’s introduction, Barnes delivered a ball from the left which was met by Anthony Elanga at the back post. The ball rolled along the line, but did not fully cross it, and Everton cleared the danger.

By now, St James’ Park had livened up, but the home team’s performance still lacked conviction in the final third.

Jaissle sent on Jacob Murphy and Jacob Ramsey for the last 15 minutes, but Newcastle found themselves pinned back by an energised Everton team, who were a threat on the break. Half-chances came and went for Newcastle as the travelling fans made themselves heard high up on St James’ Park’s Level 7.

Newcastle’s hopes of finding a late equaliser were all but ended by Ramsey’s sending-off in stoppage time for two yellow cards.

The question some home fans are asking is just how high this team can finish above the Premier League’s relegation zone, as there are still issues for Jaissle to address at both ends of the pitch ahead of what looks like being a challenging winter.

Guardian