The Joe Thomas verdict from St James' Park where Everton continued their incredible Premier League away form with a richly deserved 3-2 win over Newcastle United
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton celebrates victory with his teammates following the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St James' Park on February 28, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
The superb Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates after Everton's huge win at Newcastle United(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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David Moyes followed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall towards the dugout to continue his praise for the playmaker. The credit continued as he took his seat on the bench and, had this performance been at home, 50,000 Everton supporters would have been on their feet to applaud him.
Instead, there was a job that still needed to be completed and the priority of the 3,000 supporters in the away end, of Moyes, and of his staff, remained to fight the nerves, the momentum and the Gallowgate end to hold on for victory. Eight minutes and one fine, flying save from Jordan Pickford later they were all celebrating a seventh win on the road this season.
That they had that opportunity was down to the work of so many of those in Royal Blue on Saturday afternoon, not least that completed by Pickford behind enemy lines. But Dewsbury-Hall was at the centre of everything. He has become the heartbeat of Moyes’ Everton.
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Heads could have dropped when Jacob Murphy’s scuffed volley was deflected past Pickford in the 83rd minute. The Blues had withstood everything Newcastle United had thrown at them in a second half they spent camped in their own half but dealing with the pressure with relative ease.
Murphy’s celebrations came after a second Newcastle equaliser of the afternoon had left Pickford wrongfooted courtesy of an Everton limb thrown desperately into the path of the ball.
The sensible money would have been on the hosts seizing the initiative to push for a late winner but Dewsbury-Hall had other ideas.
The home supporters were still celebrating when the former Chelsea man burst between black and white shirts to spearhead an attack deep into the box. His cross found the path of a falling Thierno Barry who could not miss, even with his backside. Cue a third set of ecstatic celebrations up in the rafters of St James’ Park.
The Blues' response to the setback of Murphy’s goal was even more impressive because it repeated an earlier effort.
They had taken the lead in the 20th minute when Jarrad Branthwaite headed in James Garner’s cross from a corner. Everton had 10 against Manchester United on Monday and the failure to adequately test Senne Lammens from any of them was the subject of much discussion in the days that followed. It took just one corner for the story to change in the north east, Branthwaite’s header bouncing in off the post after a positive start from the Blues.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: James Tarkowski of Everton looks on, as Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton (obscured) scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St James' Park on February 28, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Jarrad Branthwaite heads Everton into the lead at Newcastle United(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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Almost 15 minutes later, Everton were pulled back just as Newcastle found a foothold in the game. It could be argued the goal was coming but there was still a degree of fortune as Jacob Ramsey’s effort from the edge of the box took a big touch off Branthwaite before flying past an already committed Pickford.
The Blues were back ahead within 120 seconds as Dwight McNeil, a surprise inclusion in Moyes’ starting XI and playing his first minutes since the collapse of a proposed move to Crystal Palace, tested Nick Pope from range. The goalkeeper kept McNeil’s effort out but spilled it back into the six-yard box and, just as he did against Brighton & Hove Albion, Beto pounced.
Beto, one of four changes to the team that started the defeat to Man Utd, was a constant nuisance. He bullied Malick Thiaw, beating him in the air and on the ground. He left Moyes with his head in his hands midway through the second half, though, when he shrugged off Thiaw on the halfway line and kept the ball in play to burst through on goal. He had time to decide how to beat Pope and did - but his effort thundered off the crossbar.
It threatened to be another crucial sliding doors moment for Everton, particularly when Murphy reeled away after making it 2-2. Not this time, though.
That was partly down to Pickford’s stunning save from Sandro Tonali’s stoppage-time volley, a flush effort that looked destined to burst the net only for England’s No.1 to push it onto the woodwork. But it was also down to Dewsbury-Hall, who not only burst forward after Murphy’s goal to create the winner, but whose quality and work rate was at the heart of another impressive away win.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Thierno Barry of Everton scores his team's third goal past Nick Pope of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St James' Park on February 28, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Thierno Barry bundles in Everton's winner at Newcastle United after brilliant work from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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He threw his body on the line to deny Anthony Gordon from long range and twice took vengeance on Tonali after the midfielder bundled over Garner off the pitch.
He urged calm among his team-mates as Newcastle looked poised to overwhelm them and led through example. Dewsbury-Hall is loved by Moyes, becoming adored by the supporters and, when Everton are good, he is normally helping to pull the strings - his clever range of passing repeatedly turned defence to attack and Moyes later acknowledged his display as the best since his comeback from the hamstring injury that ruined his Christmas.
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye were also integral, as was Garner, back in his preferred central midfield spot. McNeil won the ball in his own half to start the move for the corner Branthwaite scored from and helped that attack progress with a cute pass in the middle of the pitch. Vitalii Mykolenko cleared Newcastle set-pieces over and again, while Jake O’Brien nullified the dangerous Joelinton and then fought hard against Harvey Barnes late on.
Moyes punched the air when Stuart Attwell blew his final whistle on a win that will be of immense satisfaction after a prolonged period of scrutiny after two home defeats threatened to end any hope of European qualification.
As has so often been the case when he has taken his side away from Merseyside, he found a way to deliver and will feel this performance vindicated changes that wrought scepticism before kick-off.
The big question, now, is whether he and Everton can use this as a platform for what they really need to push on - a home win against Burnley on Tuesday night.
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