Everton beat Newcastle 3-1 at Murrayfield, bouncing back from Saturday’s defeat to Stuttgart with a performance that had far more purpose.
Thierno Barry opened the scoring early, from a fast Everton break that looked to have fizzled out before the Frenchman capitalised on a defensive error to drill low into the corner.
Iliman Ndiaye doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Joelinton fouled Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the box, and Everton went in 2-0 up at half-time amid chants of “going down, going down, going down” aimed at the travelling Toon Army.
It was new head coach Matthias Jaissle’s first taste of Premier League opposition since replacing Eddie Howe, and Newcastle struggled to build any rhythm despite arriving on the back of a 2-1 win over Valencia.
Substitute Tyrique George made it 3-0 midway through the second half, cutting in from the left and finishing with his right foot, before Harvey Barnes grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.
David Moyes made wholesale changes throughout, with Jake O’Brien, Harvey Foster and Adam Aznou all introduced as he continued to assess his options before the season begins.
It was Everton’s third win in six pre-season games, with one more friendly — at home to Lille — before the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on August 22.
Everton: Travers; Patterson, Tarkowski, Keane (O’Brien 46), Mykolenko (Aznou 60), Hackney (Foster 46), Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Armstrong, George, Barry.
Newcastle: Hornicek; Shahar, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Elanga, Bamba, Joelinton; Touré, Osula, Wissa.
