LIVERPOOL: Anthony Gordon missed a penalty against his former side to spark an almighty roar from the home fans as Newcastle United were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton in a feisty Premier League clash at Goodison Park yesterday.
Newcastle were correctly awarded a spot-kick in the first half when James Tarkowski hauled down Sandro Tonali in the box, but Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved Gordon's poor penalty with his legs.
The visitors had several other chances to win the game and were the better side, but Everton might have taken all three points themselves as they had an Abdoulaye Doucoure header ruled out for offside and Idrissa Gueye missed an open goal.
The point leaves Newcastle in sixth place in the standings with 12 points from their seven matches, while Everton are in 16th place with five points.
Gordon was the villain of the piece for both sets of fans following his acrimonious exit from Goodison Park last year.
He also had a chance late on when faced with just Pickford to beat from a narrow angle but fired over the crossbar.
"We will always back Gordan to score them, he has been an amazing player for us since he signed," Newcastle defender Dan Burn said. "It is one of those things. We wanted to pull a result out for him because he is hurting a bit.
"It was a better performance away from home. We battled well but I am disappointed not to get the three points."
Newcastle came close when Bruno Guimaraes' shot at the back post beat Pickford but not Iliman Ndiaye on the goal line.
Doucoure had the ball in the net from a sumptuous James Garner cross but was a yard offside, before Tarkowski's moment of madness gifted Newcastle the opportunity for the opener.
The foul was not spotted immediately, but a VAR review saw the penalty awarded, only for Gordon to go low and just off centre to his right, allowing Pickford to make what was a comfortable save in the end.
It was a joyous moment for Everton fans as a chorus of "England's number one" went around the ground.
"I watched the game last week and he reversed it against (Manchester City's) Ederson and I fancied him going keeper's left," Pickford said. "I think he will be disappointed but I am there to make the save and that's what I did."
Guimaraes scooped the ball over the bar from 15 yards before Everton had a penalty shout of their own when Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked to be impeded by Burn as he went to shoot.
The officials thought otherwise and from the follow-up Gueye missed a sitter when he blazed over from eight yards.
"We weren't at our best but we were resilient and we had to dig in," Pickford said. "We wanted three points but to not lose the game is great and it is our first clean sheet."