Everton 3-0 Newcastle: Sean Dyche’s men move out of bottom three after late blitz… as Kieran Tripper gaffes are punished by Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure before Beto seals emphatic win

If only Everton's accountants were as good at maths as their supporters, who celebrated this victory and lifted their team into the top half of the Premier League, as someone full-time joked. At least, in a world where they didn't get 10 points for naively flaunting financial rules.

As it is, they have climbed out of the bottom three for the first time since last month's sanction, and the bean counters who failed to protect the club will be breathing a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Sean Dyche continues to spread his magic beans. This was Everton's third win in four games. In that alternate universe they would be just six points behind Newcastle.

Will there be another point deduction? Bring it on. They should at least get it out of the way, while it looks like Dyche and his players have plenty left over the players at the bottom.

This was the Dogs of War versus the Dogs of Wor and Newcastle came into it with their tails wagging. Anthony Gordon was among the country's most in-form players on his return to Goodison Park, making the £40 million Newcastle invested in January look cheap.

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But in the end, Eddie Howe and his team were licking their wounds. They had felt the bark and bite of a resurgent Everton. “Anthony Gordon, what's the score?” they howled into the night. 'Premier League, what's the score?' followed very quickly. There is no shortage of motivation for the Toffees at the moment.

Not that this was easy. Everton aren't great at home and Newcastle aren't great away – one win apiece before that – and so we looked set for a predictable stalemate in the final ten minutes.

That was when Everton belatedly found their shooting boots and shot their visitors, whose wounds were partly self-inflicted.

Kieran Trippier hasn't put a foot wrong all season. He was allowed to make one mistake, maybe even two or three. So how cruel it was that he paid the ultimate price with his first three missteps of the entire campaign. The English defender was responsible for all three Everton goals.

First, he gifted the ball to Dwight McNeill on 79 minutes and the winger ran on to score a goal that was beginning to feel unlikely.

Seven minutes later Trippier lost to Jack Harrison, who pulled back for Abdoulaye Doucoure to steer home from twelve yards. The match was over but Trippier's misery was not and deep into stoppage time he was guilty of playing Beto onside and the substitute finished low under Martin Dubravka.

It was a night to forget for Trippier, and for Gordon too, despite being his side's best player.

Seamus Coleman had returned to skipper Everton after a seven-month absence with a knee injury. A quiet night, looking for his way back in? No chance. He took on Gordon, whose every touch was booed and scrutinized.

At least Coleman had Ashley Young for backup, a combined 73 years to hold down a 22-year-old. Gordon had good spells for Everton, but he was never that good and monopolized the conversation surrounding England's uncapped Euro 2024 contenders.

But the young man did not look like an England hopeful against the old boys early on. Coleman dribbled past him at one point – the home fans liked that – and Young made a tackle that drew equally hearty cheers. Twenty minutes later, Gordon switched wings.

Everton should have been at the front then. But considering they had only scored five home goals from 124 shots before this match, it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that a further 11 were scored without conversion in the half hour. Yet it told of their early superiority.

Newcastle were not without their moments and, arguably, better chances. Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak both performed at close range.

Here was an advertisement for ugly defending and equally brutal finishing, on both sides. Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin couldn't even hit the target from four yards when a game of pinball in the penalty area gave him the chance to light Goodison. He skipped a volley and immediately looked around for an offside flag, no doubt hoping it hadn't counted. No, he was standing two meters away, unnoticed in the goalmouth.

As one local resident said as he made his way to the relative warmth of the hall after 45 minutes: 'That was like watching a rerun'.

And so the second half began with a sense of deja vu. Calvert-Lewin failed to make good contact with a header from Dwight McNeill's corner, but defender Jamaal Lascelles inadvertently did his work for him and turned towards goal with his diaphragm. Dubravka didn't know much about the save, but he kept it out anyway. Finally, one more comment.

Gordon's evening did not get any better. The sound of those cheers, quickly followed by cheers, told you so much. The cause of the home's joy this time was a shot from twenty yards that fell among the same group of fans who had previously been unnerved by Calvert-Lewin.

But the Newcastle winger looked set to wipe the smiles off faces as he robbed James Tarkowksi on the hour mark.

One-on-one with Pickford, Gordon seized the opportunity and his old teammate did not have to move. They laughed their socks, hats, gloves and mittens off in the Park End behind the goal.

This became a target practice for Gordon – for once it looked like he needed it – and another attempt from distance flew over.

Those misses would come back to haunt him, but it is Trippier who will suffer the worst nightmares.