Newcastle United hold fast

Newcastle: Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse kept up his impressive scoring record to inspire Newcastle United as they came from behind to beat Everton 3-2 in the Premier League on Sunday.

 

Cisse’s fifth goal in six games sparked the recovery after Arouna Kone had found the net on his full Premier League debut for Roberto Martinez’s Everton, an injury-ravaged 18 months after joining from Wigan Athletic.

 

Cisse levelled before the interval and second-half goals from Ayoze Perez and Jack Colback enabled Alan Pardew’s men to end a four-game losing streak. Substitute Kevin Mirallas gave Everton hope by reducing the arrears in the 84th minute from Leighton Baines’s through-ball, but it was not enough to prevent Everton sliding to a third straight defeat.

 

The Merseyside club have won just once in their last seven league games, losing five. 

Martinez made seven changes to the team beaten 1-0 by Stoke City on Boxing Day, notably handing a top-flight debut to England youth defender Luke Garbutt, and saw Everton take a fifth-minute lead.

 

Aiden McGeady’s channel ball cut out Yoan Gouffran and found Seamus Coleman making progress down the right. The Irishman sent over an inviting low cross and Kone swept home confidently from six yards.

 

It was the Ivory Coast international’s first goal since May 2013, his Goodison Park career having stalled after a knee injury ruled him out for most of last season.