EPL: Everton 1-0 Newcastle

Theo Walcott celebrates with Wayne Rooney

An early second-half strike from Theo Walcott was enough for Everton to beat Newcastle 1-0 in the Premier League on Monday and send the Toffees into eighth place.

In a game of few chances at Goodison Park, Walcott converted Wayne Rooney's cross in the 51st minute to give Everton their first win in four games.

Rafa Benitez was not able to fashion a victory in his 100th game as Newcastle manager, with Dwight Gayle - who started the game on the bench - going closest in the 64th minute for the visitors.

 

The win sees Everton leapfrog Leicester into eighth spot, although they are eight points behind seventh-placed Burnley, while Newcastle remain 10th.

Everton could have nabbed an early goal inside three minutes when Walcott darted into the box before his intended pass to Rooney was poorly intercepted, but Cenk Tosun was unable to capitalise on the loose ball as his effort flashed across the face of goal.

 

Everton went close for a second time 30 minutes later. Newcastle failed to clear a corner, allowing Rooney to whip the ball into the area which was headed towards the back post by Michael Keane. His effort found Phil Jagielka, but he could only put his stretching volley over the crossbar from close range.

But Everton did find the breakthrough six minutes into the second half, as Yannick Bolasie pumped a ball into the area from the right to pick out Walcott at the back post. The former Arsenal forward then found himself a pocket of space before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and into the roof of the net.

 

Newcastle could have scored an equaliser in the 64th minute in one of their rare chances in the game. Jonjo Shelvey's corner met the head of Jamaal Lascelles, who directed the ball towards the back post for substitute Gayle, but the striker could not get the right connection as his volley went over the bar from inside the six-yard box.

The visitors saw the better of the ball in the closing stages as they looked to snatch a point, and they nearly succeeded in the last minute of injury time, but Jacob Murphy's cross was headed behind strongly by Seamus Coleman as the Magpies' four-match winning streak came to an end