Dominic Calvert-Lewin's eighth Premier League goal this season wasn't enough to spare Everton defeat at Newcastle United following two second-half goals from Callum Wilson.

Everton laid siege to Newcastle's goal after Calvert-Lewin converted at the near post from Alex Iwobi's low right-wing cross - and twice came extraordinarily close to levelling.

Bernard's cross from the left needed tipping over at full-stretch by Karl Darlow, after Federico Fernandez's panicked clearance cannoned off Michael Keane's shin and flew narrowly wide.

Wilson scored from the spot on 56 minutes and touched home following a counter-attack with six minutes remaining.

Everton remain second in the Premier League but will rue not taking anything from St James' Park after the home team scored twice from four shots on target.

Indeed, Newcastle went in front with only their second shot on target.

It was a free shot, too, after Andre Gomes was penalised for a challenge on Wilson when Sean Longstaff directed a right-wing corner to the near post.

The VAR check lasted two minutes before finding in Newcastle’s favour – a portion of that time passing with the ball on the spot and Wilson poised for the kick.

The delay did nothing to disturb the Newcastle player, Wilson stroking low into the right corner.

Robin Olsen, on his Everton debut and outstanding to this point and with one fabulous save to deny Allan Saint-Maximin under his belt, had little-to-no chance.

The same appeared true when Newcastle, emboldened, poured forward soon after.

A succession of sharp, precise passes in the penalty box resulted in Longstaff being fed in to clobber a shot from the corner of the six-yard box.

Olsen reacted by throwing out his right hand.

That he was quick enough to make contact was remarkable, to apply sufficient power to direct the ball over was something else.

Spared a second blow inside two minutes – and relieved when a subsequent Saint-Maximin effort thundered into a blue shirt – Everton came back with Sigurdsson taking aim from 30 yards but seeing his strike dip too late to trouble goalkeeper Darlow.

Bernard replaced Gomes on the hour and Cenk Tosun – playing for Everton for the first time since the date of Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment last December – followed not long after.

Between times Calvert-Lewin met a Sigurdsson free-lick with a flicked header. Either side of Darlow and the keeper would have struggled at point-blank range but the ball travelled straight into Darlow’s gloves.

Keane was over with a header from another Sigurdsson free-kick, this one delivered from the right immediately after Iwobi replaced Jonjoe Kenny.

Allan and Aboulaye Doucoure were beginning to drive forwards, one surge from the South American creating an opening for Doucoure only for Jeff Hendrick to intervene.

Newcastle steadily retreated, chief schemer Miguel Almiron being replaced and a string of black and white shirts forming a barricade across the tip of their 18-yard box.

Everton, though, were increasingly vulnerable to the counter-attack.

And that was how Newcastle won the game.

Ryan Fraser, on for Saint-Maximin to freshen the hosts’ frontline, sped onto a pass down the left.

The chasing Yerry Mina’s interception sent the ball on a looping trajectory to the far post, where Wilson had the easiest of tasks to score.

Calvert-Lewin was wide after being slipped in by Iwobi and when the forward’s effort went wide of Darlow’s left post, Everton appeared to have missed their chance for a grandstand finish.

The signalling of six added minutes changed the context and Calvert-Lewin toed in from Iwobi's right-wing cross to give Everton hope.

We had waited 30 minutes for the first opportunity worthy of mention. The irony was it came for Newcastle only seconds after Everton won the game’s first corner.

The football had been fairly good from both sides to this point, the passing largely crisp, forwards aiming for intelligent runs and defenders focused.

It was just there had been little in the way of intent. Allan took the bull by the horns and ran into the box, beyond the advanced Gomes, to collect a pass from the Portuguese.

Jamaal Lascelles’s body position was awkward but the defender got a toe in nonetheless.

Sigurdsson’s corner was beaten clear by Darlow and suddenly Newcastle were streaming forwards.

Wilson took over from Almiron on the left to bend a low ball across the area for Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman did everything right, taking only one touch to control and set. But as he crashed his right boot through the ball Olsen was advancing to save at very close quarters.

Wilson had deposited a sixth-minute effort wide of Olsen’s left post after being released by Josh Murphy but the forward’s free run on goal would be a first-half outlier against a sure Everton rearguard.

Full-backs Kenny and Niels Nkounou were tasked with providing Everton’s width in attack but both assiduously tucked in when their team didn’t have the ball.

Fabian Delph and Doucoure religiously filled in for Nkounkou and Kenny respectively when either defender crossed halfway.

If there was a flaw in Newcastle’s football – their back-five was just that, with wing-backs Murphy and Jamal Lewis stationed next to three centre-halves – it came in a tendency to cough up possession cheaply.

Central defender Fernandez had to get his team off the hook with a sliding challenge on Sigurdsson, while Doucoure out the frighteners on Darlow following a weak pass back to the keeper.

What followed Olsen’s save from Saint-Maximin was a relative Newcastle purple patch.

Nkounkou, playing his first senior top-flight game on his 20th birthday, was penalised for tugging at Saint-Maximin on the left side of Everton’s box.

The free-kick was rolled back to Hendrick whose low 25 yarder was blocked by Delph.

Olsen eventually authoritatively claimed a high ball into the box to punctuate Newcastle’s flurry.

A throw from Olsen, arced into Kenny’s feet, wide on the right, sent Everton on the offensive 60 seconds before half-time.

Kenny shipped the ball infield, Lascelles failing to intercept and inviting Calvert-Lewin to try his luck.

The striker got plenty on his strike from distance but saw it repelled by a defensive body – the same outcome as when Lascelles had thwarted Calvert-Lewin from closer to goal not long before.

Delph walloped wide after the ball was recycled from that initial attempt.

Everton were looking different from their previous six Premier League games and not only because of Ancelotti’s five changes of personnel.

Delph, Doucoure and Allan formed a narrow midfield three.

Sigurdsson and Gomes were asked to provide support for Calvert-Lewin.

For a split second just shy of the half hour Gomes fancied he might be more than a supporting act, however.

He watched Kenny’s cross travelling towards him in the box – Lewis had presented Doucoure with possession to redirect traffic – and had his right boot poised to connect.

Longstaff, however, had envisioned how this would unfold after his teammate surrendered the ball – and got back to head out of Gomes’s path.

Kenny the supplier from the right again three minutes after the restart.

Calvert-Lewin performed a juggling act as he met the deep cross, one header to control, the next to find Sigurdsson.

The Icelander was off balance, though, and so far as his goal attempt went that was fatal.