Aston Villa supporters will disagree, but with Everton having spent most of the season in contention for a top-four finish, it would have been an injustice had they not at least claimed the Uefa Cup place their efforts deserved. In the end it was secured relatively comfortably and, fittingly, against a Newcastle United team whose manager could probably do with more of David Moyes’s optimism.

Keegan took an ironic swipe yesterday at those who had disputed his well-publicised claims that the top four remains the preserve of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool – “the top four, I thought, were running away from it, but now I’m convinced by so many people who know the game that I was wrong,” he said – but if anyone is going to gatecrash the elite, even the Newcastle manager may concur that Everton have a better chance than most.

As Keegan as good as conceded, Everton are the club Newcastle would like to be – stable, professional to the last, unified and upwardly mobile.

Having irked Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman, last week by suggesting that he was in the dark over the club’s transfer budget, Moyes was almost conciliatory yesterday. The pair are expected to meet on Thursday or Friday, when Moyes will discover how much money he has to spend on transfers this summer before, as expected, he commits his long-term future to the club by signing a new four or five-year contract, but his case for cash to splash will have been strengthened by another fine season.

To put it into context, Everton’s tally of 65 points was four more than they amassed during the 2004-05 campaign, when they qualified for the Champions League, although the disappointment of falling just short may be partially offset by a handsome merit payment of £11.52 million.

“I didn’t want to be fifth, I wanted to be first, and if I wasn’t going to be first, I wanted to be second, or third, or fourth, but we put up a fight for most of the season,” Moyes said. “I’m totally relaxed about [the meeting]. Every manager wants to get as much [money] as they can. I’m no different. But we have always been supported.

“I knew when I took this job that there wasn’t vast sums of money available and maybe a lot of clubs are looking at it and saying ‘that’s the way you should do it actually’.”

Newcastle may be one of those. Keegan would not expand on the meeting he held with Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner, last Friday – “the statement was put out and I’m totally happy with it; you shouldn’t doubt my chairman’s statement,” Keegan said, none too convincingly – but how he craves what Moyes has created at Goodison Park.

But for a five-minute period at the start of the second half, when Michael Owen scored from the penalty spot after Joseph Yobo had upended Charles N’Zogbia, Newcastle were outplayed. Everton were faster, stronger, hungrier. The only surprise was that they had to wait until the 70th minute to score a second goal, when Joleon Lescott capped a marvellous season by slotting home a cross from the outstanding Manuel Fernandes that Steven Taylor failed to clear.

Taylor erred again soon after when he brought down Leon Osman. It was the first penalty Everton had been awarded in the league this season and was dispatched by Yakubu Ayegbeni. The Nigeria striker had become the first Everton player since Peter Beardsley to score 20 goals in a season when he headed home Fernandes’s free kick in the first half and, but for some fine goalkeeping from Steve Harper, the home team might have run riot. Moyes may well point to the £11.25 million Everton paid for Yakubu last summer as evidence of the benefits of spending big.

“Everton are an inspiration to everybody,” Keegan, who dismissed reports that Owen may leave for Manchester United, said. “If you write about Newcastle [today] you want shooting. We just made the numbers up, but I’ve just said to Bill Kenwright that we’re after that position next year and to go and enjoy it while he can. He will probably get me back again next year when I’m sat here and they’ve finished fifth.”

Probably, although Moyes has his sights set on fourth.

Everton (4-4-2): T Howard 6 – P Neville 7, J Yobo 6 (sub: L Baines, 85min), P Jagielka 7, J Lescott 7 – M Fernandes 8, L Carsley 7 (sub: J Rodwell, 90), L Osman 7, S Pienaar 7 – V Anichebe 7 (sub: T Gravesen, 85), Yakubu Ayegbeni 7. Substitutes not used: S Wessels, D Gosling.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): S Harper 7 – H Beye 5, S Taylor 4 (sub: P Ramage, 90), A Faye 6 (sub: C Caçapa, 46 5), J Enrique 6 (sub: K LuaLua, 79) – D Duff 4, N Butt 5, A Smith 4, C N’Zogbia 6 – A Carroll 5, M Owen 6. Substitutes not used: F Forster, B Tozer. Booked: Duff, Smith.

Referee: P Walton
Attendance: 39,592

End-of-term report

Everton

Season’s summary: A step up from last season, with a newly found touch of flair thrown in.
How to improve: Some extra height among a generally short front six.
Player of season: Tim Cahill.

Newcastle United

Season’s summary: Below par, yet again.
How to improve: Persuade Michael Owen to stay and buy a top-class midfield player.
Player of season: Abdoulaye Faye.