By Peter Donnelly
November 7 2002

Newcastle United were knocked out of the Worthington Cup on Wednesday night, at the first hurdle. The match at St. James' Park ended in a 3-3 draw meaning penalties, but United failed in 3 of their kicks. Newcastle: Harper , Griffin , Elliot, Dabizas, Caldwell, Bernard (Robert 67), Dyer, Acuna (Solano 66), Cort , LuaLua (Chopra 67), Viana

Kieron Dyer went into this game as Toon skipper but it was who Everton took the lead early on in the first half, Kevin Campbell, totally unmarked, heading in from a corner. The Toffee's went in at half-time 1-0 up, though Hugo Viana was looking lively for Newcastle, having tested Richard Wright on several occasions.

In the second half it took time for Newcastle to break down Everton, but they eventually pulled level when Viana's perfect through ball was finished off by Dyer.

About 2 minutes later Newcastle went 2-1 up via Dyer again, in a crazy spell. Sub Nobby Solano passed to Cort who layed the ball off for Dyer on the edge of the box and Dyer belted home with a rocket of a shot.

You'd have thought we'd done it again, coming from behind to win, but Everton equalised through Geordie boy Watson with Newcastle's defence caught off-gaurd once more.

Into extra-time then, and it was our turn to score again when Dyer put in a cross and former Magpie Alassandro Pistone embaressingly put the ball in his own net to give United the lead again.

Stevie Caldwell went from hero to villain in amazing circumstances though, when Campbell took the ball found Harper and shot but Caldwell made a great save, unfortunetly with his hand. The sending off was inevitable and so was Unsworth's successful pen, which follwed.

When the penalties came Hugo Viana, Michael Chopra and Laurent Robert were all Newcastle's penalty failures, which saw Everton progress in the Worthington Cup.