MONDAY NIGHT MISERY
BARRY POUNCES AS MAGPIES CRASH
Hornicek howler gifts Everton the points, Ramsey sees red and St James' Park boos them off
NEWCASTLE 0 EVERTON 1 (Thierno Barry 49)
Newcastle don't like Mondays, and Mondays don't like Newcastle. Thierno Barry tapped in the softest goal of his career four minutes after half-time, and David Moyes's Everton made it two wins over the Magpies in five days.
It was a goalkeeping howler. Tyrique George hit a first-time shot, Lukas Hornicek let it squirm under his body, and Barry scored into an empty net from about six inches out. VAR looked at two offside calls and a claim that Barry had fouled Fabian Schar, and let it stand.
“It's a nasty challenge. He misses the ball and catches the man. To me that is a red card in itself, terrible tackle.”
The visitors had the better of a dreary first half. Barry volleyed Will Osula's arm from eight yards, Jake O'Brien nodded a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cross past the post, and Harrison Armstrong, unmarked, screwed a cutback wide from 14 yards. Newcastle did not manage a shot on target in the half and went in to boos.
After the goal Hornicek kept it at one, palming over a Dewsbury-Hall curler and getting an arm to an O'Brien header.
Newcastle's best moment came on 66 minutes, when Anthony Elanga's shot hit Pickford and the post and spun along the line without crossing. Jacob Ramsey volleyed just wide from 20 yards, and Pickford saved with his feet from Yoane Wissa as eight minutes of stoppage time began.
Ramsey's night ended in disgrace. Booked for catching Hayden Hackney, he stood on Armstrong's leg 60 seconds later and walked.
Matthias Jaissle's side have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 home league games, the longest run in the club's history. The whistle was greeted with boos. "They could hear those boos back in Sunderland," wrote BBC Sport's Neil Johnston from the press box.
Jaissle did not hide. "In my eyes it is clearly a foul so a disallowed goal," the Newcastle head coach told Sky Sports, insisting Barry had fouled Schar. "After a performance like that I can understand," he said of the boos. "That's the reality and I am responsible for that."
Moyes was happy to talk up his side. "I think we deserved it overall. We were better and should have got a few more goals," the Everton manager told BBC Match of the Day. On his striker: "He has missed a few but thankfully tonight he was on the spot to get the goal."
"I think it was probably our best performance of the season," said Everton defender James Tarkowski. Newcastle's Dan Burn summed up the other dressing room: "Disappointed, frustrated. Much of the same in the last few games."