The cloud that Anthony Gordon left Goodison Park under has not lifted. A prominent role for the Newcastle forward was inevitable on his return to Everton but being denied from the penalty spot and missing several chances to silence the jeers was not how he envisaged the script. A highly entertaining goalless draw could not distract from his torment.

Jordan Pickford won the battle of wits with his England colleague to save Gordon’s spot-kick as Eddie Howe’s team struggled to build on their encouraging display against Manchester City. Newcastle produced their best defensive display of the season, according to Howe, and controlled much of the contest. But wastefulness in front of goal cost the visitors, who escaped a strong Everton claim for a penalty of their own when Dan Burn brought Dominic Calvert-Lewin crashing down when he appeared certain to score. VAR found the Everton striker guilty of initiating contact.

Related: Everton 0-0 Newcastle: Premier League – live reaction

“Naturally he’s disappointed,” said the Newcastle manager of Gordon. “But it was a much better performance from him today compared to here last year. He dealt with the occasion well, he had his moments and he gave them problems. He handled the [penalty] disappointment well. It can play on your mind and affect you negatively but I don’t think it did.”

It was an absorbing spectacle considering the lack of quality in the final third from both teams. Everton created little overall but after more disruption to their defence, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko sidelined through injury, a first Premier League clean sheet of the season was welcomed by Sean Dyche. James Garner, deputising at right back, was exemplary. Pickford and the often-maligned Michael Keane were not far behind.

Bruno Guimarães was close to volleying the visitors into an early lead when a Kieran Trippier corner glanced off Calvert-Lewin and found him unmarked at the back post. The Newcastle captain’s effort beat Pickford but Iliman Ndiaye somehow flicked the ball off the line. Everton thought they had opened the scoring in fine style before the video assistant referee found Abdoulaye Doucouré had strayed offside to head Garner’s superb cross into the top corner.

VAR intervened again when James Tarkowski foolishly hauled Sandro Tonali to the ground at a Newcastle corner. The referee, Craig Pawson, awarded a penalty following a pitch-side review and Gordon had the perfect opportunity to punish his former club. The Gwladys Street berated Gordon mercilessly as he stepped forward to take the spot-kick. Pickford, enduring his usual barracking from the Newcastle fans, blocked the penalty low to his left to leave Goodison in raptures. Gordon’s frustrations continued when he missed a free header in first-half stoppage time, attempting to set up Joelinton instead of going for goal himself, and when blazing over after being played through on goal late on.

Pickford also denied the Newcastle substitute Miguel Almirón before Idrissa Gueye cleared Tonali’s header off the line from the resulting corner. Everton chances were limited by comparison, with Calvert-Lewin isolated, but the home side should have edged ahead when Dwight McNeil gave the centre-forward the service he craved inside the Newcastle box. Calvert-Lewin’s low shot on the turn was palmed away by Nick Pope. As he closed in on the rebound the striker was sent tumbling by Burn’s challenge from behind. It looked a clear penalty but Pawson was unmoved and VAR deemed that Calvert-Lewin had kicked Burn’s leg first. Either way, Gueye should have made the argument redundant when reaching the loose ball first but he somehow blazed over an open goal from four yards out.

• Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.

• If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.

• In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.

• Turn on sport notifications.

Dyche reflected: “For their penalty there is a bit of to-ing and fro-ing but you can’t do that. I can’t work out our one. I see so many weak penalties given and Dom is clearly trying to strike the ball at goal but their lad interrupts it. I can’t see it being anything other [than an Everton penalty]. But our record is awful for penalties, we don’t get them. No doubt the powers that be will give us a technical reason why when we ask them.”