EVERTON SINKS NEWCASTLE

Everton 3 - Newcastle 0: Toffees banking on Barkley after hammering hapless Toon Army

FOR all the focus that has fallen on Newcastle’s expensive forays into the transfer market, it is what they did not buy that ultimately might cost them dearest.

An inability to keep clean sheets allied to their failure to trouble the scorers often enough remains a bad combination and one which conspires to leave them anchored in the relegation zone last night.

Everton did not have to touch the heights to ease the discord prevalent for them of late and frittered away opportunities to add to Aaron Lennon’s goal midway through the opening half and until two late Ross Barkley penalties sealed a first home win since November.

Newcastle’s midfield might improve with the recruitment of debutant Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey, but it is in front and behind where the problems persist. Saturday’s home game with West Bromwich Albion assumes even greater importance now.

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Robles; Coleman, Jagielka, Funes-Mori, Oviedo; McCarthy, Barry; Lennon, Barkley, Cleverley; Lukaku (Kone 46). Booked: Coleman. Goals: Lennon 23, Barkley 88 pen, 90 pen. NEXT UP: Stoke (a), Sat PL.

NEWCASTLE (4-1-4-1): Elliot; Janmaat, Mbemba (Lascelles 44), Coloccini, Dummett (Aarons 46); Saivet (Mitrovic 55); Sissoko, Shelvey, Wijnaldum, Townsend; Perez. Booked: Shelvey, Lascelles. Sent off: Lascelles 90. NEXT UP: West Brom (h), Sat PL.

Referee: C Pawson (Sheffield).