Jack Grealish was pictured enjoying a cracking night out in Newcastle last year. Here, his Everton team-mates had just as good a time, albeit in a far more sober state.

The Manchester City loanee was left at home after last week’s ‘breach of club discipline’. At least, home is where the club hoped he would be.

And, if he was, Grealish would have watched Everton record a deserved win. He might even have raised a toast, so accomplished an away performance was this.

David Moyes had dropped the winger for last Thursday’s 3-1 win over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup after he missed training following another alleged night on the town. And again, without him, they were too good for Matthias Jaissle’s sorry and directionless Newcastle.

It is the Toon Army, rather, in need of a bender right now. They really aren’t very good - no shots on target before injury-time - and it is remarkable to think they would have gone seventh with victory. That position is now occupied by Everton, who were more skilful and more savvy from start to finish and won thanks to Thierno Barry’s goal just after the break. The scoreline was not a reflection of their superiority.

The opening half hour had been a side-show in two managers betraying varying degrees of frustration. Jaissle buried his fist in his palm every time Everton played through his team at will. And Moyes muttered expletives when his side were unable to take advantage. It was clear he sensed this was there to be won. It was less clear how they would achieve that when Barry was swiping at fresh air six yards from goal.

By the 28th minute, the home fans were booing after yet another aimless long ball. Vertical football, Jaissle has called it, getting the ball forward quickly. Yet more boos on the whistle for half-time told you the locals fear they are going backwards. Everton’s Harrison Armstrong, the half’s brightest midfielder, had only just swiped wide from 12 yards when he should have scored, and that would have been deserved.

The Toon Army were soon cheering, when a fella in jeans kicked a ball through a hole to win a trip to Las Vegas. It was the first effort on target by anyone on the field all evening. Newcastle’s first-half woe was summed up by one free-kick, worked short, that was then chipped straight out of play by Amar Dedic. Jaissle shot to his dugout to watch a replay of what had gone wrong - someone should have told him such footage could not be re-shown pre watershed.

The first effort on target brought the first goal in the 49th minute, and it was no surprise when it came Everton’s way. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall played the sort of pass of which Newcastle were seemingly incapable - low, incisive and accurate - and that set Tyrique George away. His shot was not particularly hard, but then Lukas Hornicek’s attempt to save it was not particularly convincing. As the ball squirmed through his grasp, Barry was quickest to follow up for a tap-in. Newcastle appealed offsides against both George and the scorer, but the truth was that Everton’s players were just sharper in every phase. The time afforded to the excellent Dewsbury-Hall to pick that pass was also a scandal.

Jaissle’s promise has been a team who hunt in packs. They were hiding en masse here. The head coach looked to his bench and called for the popular midfielder Sean Steur. The Dutch teenager’s popularity has been enhanced by him not being in the side of late. The cheer for his introduction, as replacement for the leaden-booted Nico Gonzalez, was almost as big as for the sharp-shooter in Levi’s.

Immediately, Steur impacted. From one smart pass to Harvey Barnes the winger crossed and Anthony Elanga almost stole in to score at the far post. The Geordies have been right to call for his involvement in a team so void of inspiration and positive energy.

It was not long, however, before a chorus of ‘attack, attack, attack’ emerged from the Gallowgate End, and that is never a good sign. Substitute Jacob Ramsey was then sent off for a second booking to compound the home misery.

Meanwhile, the fan bound for Vegas was probably checking for the next flight.