Alex Iwobi’s late strike gave Everton a priceless win over Newcastle.
Frank Lampard’s side had been reduced to 10 men for a second straight game after Allan was sent off for a halfway line challenge on Allan Saint-Maximin.
But the Blues snatched victory in the ninth minute of added time when Iwobi produced a solo effort to fire past Martin Dubravka in the Park End goal.
Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:
Iwobi strike is truly worth the wait
Alex Iwobi’s Premier League goals for Everton had followed a distinct theme.
His name only ever featured on the score sheet on three occasions against Wolverhampton Wanderers in all of his 71 top-flight appearances for the club.
But the Nigeria international picked the perfect time to break his statistical anomaly, ironically in his first game following the Molineux side’s visit.
Deep into 14 minutes of time added on, after a protestor had chained himself to the Gwladys Street End’s goalposts, Iwobi delivered the breakthrough.
Exchanging passes with substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the winger surged towards Martin Dubravka’s goal before sliding a tidy finish into its net.
Iwobi has enjoyed a complicated relationship with the Goodison crowd over the last three years but there was no doubting the value of his latest act.
If it helps ensure that Everton finish a truly forgettable season outside the Premier League’s relegation zone, that strike will be worth its weight in gold.
Goodison roars again under the lights
What a difference five days can make.
On Sunday, Evertonians traipsed away from Goodison Park devoid of any fight or belief in their team’s seemingly inevitable decent from the Premier League.
They had plenty of reasons to be downbeat after witnessing Frank Lampard’s side produce a whimperous display in their eventual 1-0 defeat to Wolves.
Fast-forward to Thursday night and the Grand Old Lady had a very different complexion from the first whistle until the last against a resurgent Newcastle.
A hostile and vociferous atmosphere started when the visitors’ decided to make the Blues kick towards the Gwladys Steet End during the first half.
Goodison often showcased its finest qualities when the chips are starting to look down and the floodlights are beaming down on a midweek evening.
Such a perfect cocktail produced one of the atmospheres, and results, of the season as supporters joyously headed home singing joyously into the night.
Ref injustice still plagues the Blues
Before Iwobi’s late intervention, Mike Riley probably had another appointment to issue apologies to both Lampard and Bill Kenwright already in his diary.
Such is the frequency that incorrect decisions are befalling Everton, the head of referees could be forgiven for having Goodison’s switchboard on speed dial.
Three weeks ago, VAR denied them a late penalty in a hard-fought defeat to Manchester City. This time, technology conspired to reduce them to 10 men.
Allan’s challenge on his namesake Saint-Maximin shortly before the halfway line was a necessary evil to stop Newcastle staging a speedy counter-attack.
The Brazilian’s tackle merited what Lampard would term as a ‘hard’ yellow card but VAR and referee Craig Pawson clearly had very different ideas.
Losing Allan eight minutes from the end of normal time did not ruin Everton’s evening but could have far-reaching applications in their battle for survival.
Beyond Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Crystal Palace, he will miss trips to West Ham and fellow strugglers Burnley if this dismissal is not overturned.
Sooner or later, Riley is likely to be holding his hands up again as a result of his own officials making the same costly mistakes as the past few weeks.