MACKEM Jordan Pickford ruined Anthony Gordon’s return to Everton and denied Newcastle three points.
With strikers Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson injured, it fell to the winger, 23, to lead the Toon’s line and run the gauntlet of hate that awaited him on his old stomping ground.
And Gordon had the perfect opportunity to make what will likely be his last visit to Goodison a memorable one – only for the ex-Sunderland goalkeeper to spoil it.
Pickford rescued the Blues by saving his old team-mate’s penalty to ensure he had a miserable Merseyside night at the club he left for St. James’ Park in January 2023.
Things had already started when Jarrad Branthwaite, who celebrated his maiden appearance of the season by helping Everton to their first victory last week, was ruled out with a quad problem.
Michael Keane stepped in, but the veteran looked nervy, escaping an early yellow for a foul on Sandro Tonali and then almost messing up with a backpass as the alert Pickford spared his blushes.
Then it was his team-mate Iliman Ndiaye that came to the rescue for the Toffees – even though the Senegal attacker knew little about it.
A corner was flicked on by Tonali to Bruno Guimaraes at the back and his attempt beat Pickford and was heading straight for the net, only to somehow get stuck under Ndiaye’s feet on the line and eventually knocked wide.
He became even more popular with the Gwladys Street faithful when he, and then Abdoulaye Doucoure, extended the hot reception for Gordon by leaving him floored.
That got the crowd going as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has scored more goals [six] against Newcastle than any other team, retaliated with a surge and shot straight at Nick Pope.
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Goodison roared when Doucoure met James Garner’s cross to head home, only for those celebrations to be cut-short due to an offside.
And it was the intervention of VAR that spotted James Tarkowski ridiculously haul down Tonali as Jacob Murphy shot high and wide from distance following a corner.
The air turned blue once referee Craig Pawson awarded a penalty following a pitchside monitor check, and the temperature got even hotter once they realised who would be taking it.
Gordon, who scored the equaliser from the spot against Man City a week ago, bravely stepped up.
But the roof came off the famous old ground when Pickford guessed right and saved it with his knees, his first spot-kick stop in nine attempts, as Doucoure celebrated wildly in front of the crestfallen Newcastle man.
The Magpies, and Gordon, reacted well to that setback and started the second period on top, only this time Tarkowski bravely blocked Tonali’s effort after the Italian met a Joelinton knockdown.
Gordon created the next opportunity, which saw Guimaraes blaze over, as the visitors continued to press forward in search of a breakthrough.
Pickford reacted well to knock Miguel Almiron’s deflected cross round the post but soon the tide began to turn after screams for an Everton penalty.
Calvert-Lewin was denied by an excellent stop from Nick Pope after Tonali gave away possession, but he was judged to have kicked the back of Dan Burn’s leg as he tumbled when trying to get the rebound.
Miguel Almiron hit the side-netting as Toon regained control and then Gordon had one last chance to ram the jeers down the throats of the locals, but he poorly smashed high and wide.
Almiron’s abject finish straight at Pickford and Jolinton’s wild effort from distance summed up Newcastle’s day as Everton held on to a first clean sheet of the season.
