Theo Walcott fires winner to offer Everton some respite and bring Newcastle's purple patch to an end

It was hardly a night to strengthen Sam Allardyce’s claim that he is worth 11 out of 10, but Everton did get the job done thanks to one of his January signings.

Theo Walcott showed composure to score a winner early in the second half as Allardyce enjoyed victory at the expense of his old nemesis Rafa Benitez.

This was not a tidy Everton victory against one of their manager’s former clubs, and even though it ended Newcastle’s four-match winning run, it is unlikely to have done anything to mollify supporters who have no time for his functional style.

It has been a testing week for Everton’s manager, after it emerged that the club had sent out a survey inviting club members and season-ticket holders to rate his performance on a scale of zero to 10.

He tried to laugh that off by claiming he would give himself 11, but the response from the stands was caustic. One banner read: ‘Our survey says… Get out of our club.’

If Allardyce and his functional style go this summer, at least he will leave the legacy of Walcott, signed from Arsenal for £25m in January. The winger can be maddeningly inconsistent, but he does have the spark to change tight games. It was just what Everton needed to spoil Rafa Benitez’s 100th match as Newcastle manager.

The two managers have a history of enmity, ever since Allardyce claimed in his autobiography that Benitez deserved no credit for Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League win. Experience has mellowed that antagonism. And in any case, Benitez has other things on his mind these days.

Newcastle’s manager, marking his 100th match in charge last night, has worked miracles to drag them towards Premier League safety on a minimal budget, but is likely to do some serious thinking about his future this summer if a takeover fails to materialise.

Owner Mike Ashley remains under pressure from supporters to leave, having put Newcastle back up for sale last October, but is deeply unconvinced that Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners is the right buyer.

Amid suggestions that Ashley is ready to raise his asking price from £300m to £400m, a deal with Staveley looks less likely than ever, raising the question as to whether Benitez will be given adequate funding for next season – and if not, whether he will stay.

Newcastle’s fans will have to wait for that saga to sort itself out. Their chants calling for Ashley to go were mixed with taunts about Sunderland’s relegation to League One, and barracking of Everton’s former Black Cats goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Pickford did not always convince during a dreadful first half. He was lucky to get away with a scuffed clearance after being chased down by Kenedy, but Ayoze Perez over-hit what seemed a simple pass that would have put Islam Slimani clear.

Everton failed to muster a shot on target in the first half, despite Walcott’s occasional flashes of liveliness. The home side should have gone ahead following a Wayne Rooney corner 12 minutes before half-time; centre-back Michael Keane had a header blocked by Jonjo Shelvey and a shot that hit Florian Lejeune, and when the ball was played back in, the former Burnley defender’s header back across goal was steered over by captain Phil Jagielka from four yards out.

Everton came to life briefly as they took the lead six minutes after the interval. Walcott collected Yannick Bolasie’s right-wing cross at the far post, via a bounce off DeAndre Yedlin, and manoeuvred himself into space before steering a shot high into the net from close range.

Dwight Gayle, sent on for the ineffective Slimani, should have equalised within a minute of his entrance, but skied over the bar after Jamaal Lascelles had flicked on Shelvey’s corner.

Gayle was a lively presence, though, glancing a headed chance straight to Pickford and forcing Keane to haul him down for a free-kick that Matt Ritchie floated over the bar from 20 yards. It was maybe only six out of 10 for Everton, but it was enough for Allardyce.