If Joe Kinnear is pursuing a deliberate strategy to divert attention from Newcastle United’s troubles, he deserves full marks for effort and originality. Unfortunately for the interim manager, his brush with the police and match officials yesterday – when he tried to ignore a pitch-side ban by giving directions to the dugout – is likely to earn him a reprimand from the FA. The incident threatened to detract from a rare moment of on-field success.

Kinnear’s dashes up and down the stairs at the back of the Goodison Park main stand meant that he missed both of his new team’s goals, scored immediately either side of the half-time interval by Steven Taylor and Damien Duff, that cancelled out Everton’s apparently commanding two-goal lead and halted Newcastle’s run of five successive defeats. Perhaps the North East club were fortunate that they were facing an Everton team bereft of confidence and possessing an alarmingly brittle defence, but there was little doubt that they demonstrated determination and commitment, which have been lacking recently, and Kinnear’s assessment that if any team were going to win the game it was Newcastle was a valid one.

The former Wimbledon manager felt vindicated and, having said that he would not speak to the press again, attended the postmatch media conference, during which, after continuing his midweek spat with journalists, he further clouded the issue of how long he will remain in the job, referring to a ten-match tenure, having previously been thought to be in charge until the end of October.

However long he stays, Newcastle will need more performances similar to their second-half display yesterday if they are going to halt their decline.

However, if they maintain the dismal form of the first 45 minutes, the gloom is unlikely to lift from St James’ Park. A group of bare-chested Geordies wearing blonde, bubble-perm wigs in tribute to Fabricio Coloccini, the Newcastle and Argentina central defender, may have tried to lift spirits, but the South American’s fourth-minute lunge that gave Everton a free-kick opportunity summed up the early period of the match.

Mikel Arteta wasted the chance, but it took only 17 minutes for the home team to take the lead, when Arteta converted a penalty after Nicky Butt had brought down Leight-on Baines. The second was not long in coming, with Baines again involved, this time sending a cross to the near post, where Marouane Fellaini, the £15 million signing from Standard Liège, volleyed in at the near post.

Newcastle looked defeated, with Michael Owen starved of service up front, but their route back into the match came out of nowhere. A deep cross by Gérémi found Taylor at the far post and the right back headed a well-placed effort beyond Tim Howard. That gave Newcastle unexpected momentum, which gathered pace immediately after the restart when Taylor burst down the right-hand flank and pulled a low cross back towards Duff, who finished from inside the six-yard box.

It was another bitter blow for David Moyes, the Everton manager, who was attempting to lift his team after Thursday’s Uefa Cup exit and who was faced with a chorus of jeers at the final whistle. “You can see we are lacking in confidence at the moment,” he said.

Everton ratings (4-4-2)

T Howard 6 T Hibbert 6 P Jagielka 8 J Lescott 6 L Baines 6 M Arteta 6 M Fellaini 5 L Osman 6 S Pienaar 7 Yakubu Ayegbeni 6 L Saha 5 Substitutes V Anichebe (for Saha, 72min), J Vaughan (for Pienaar, 86). Not used C Nash, J Yobo, S Castillo, N Valente, J Rodwell.

Newcastle ratings (4-4-2)

S Given 6 S Taylor 8 F Coloccini 6 C Caçapa 6 J Enrique 3 Gérémi 5 N Butt 5 D Guthrie 6 C N’Zogbia 7 M Owen 7 D Duff 7 Substitutes S Bassong 6 (for Enrique, 38min), F Ameobi (for Gérémi, 75). Not used S Harper, J Xisco, D Edgar, M Doninger, R Donaldson.

Referee H Webb Attendance 33,805