Newcastle mark Rafa's 100th game with defeat to Big Sam's Everton

This was a missed opportunity for Newcastle to not only climb up to the dizzy heights of eighth with four matches remaining by defeating the Toffees, but also to make it mathematically impossible to go down by nailing that one last point.

Not that it mattered too much to the travelling band of Geordies, already looking ahead to another season in the top-flight after watching Benitez impressively lead the Magpies up to mid-table in their first season back in the top-flight.

These days Everton fans are looking for more than that. Allardyce, the manager Newcastle fans were glad to see the back of in 2007, watched his team climb four points clear of their opponents courtesy of Theo Walcott’s strike five minutes into the second half.

The former England boss has had to deal with survey-gate – after the Everton marketing department asked for fans to rate out of ten how much they trust him – and then a pre-match banner in the upper Gwladys Street end stated ‘Our survey says...get out of our club’.

Benitez has no such worries on Tyneside, even if his players couldn’t conjure up a late equaliser to mark his 100th game in charge with the crucial point to guarantee survival – as the four match winning streak came to an end.

How things have changed since January, when the threat of relegation was real and concerns were high that Benitez would be unable to keep them up after a lack of transfer funds provided by Mike Ashley.

The run of just one defeat from their previous seven games changed all that, though. With safety effectively assured before a ball had been kicked here, Benitez was keen to give Islam Slimani the opportunity to prove his worth in attack.

The Algerian has had to wait for his first start since arriving on loan from Leicester City with a thigh injury, so this was the first chance for him to really show what he could do having previously outlined a desire to make a full-time move to Tyneside.

Slimani was quick to link up play and attempt to get on an overhit Jonjo Shelvey through pass, moments after Walcott had hit the deck in the area at the other end only for play to go on to allow Cenk Tosun to direct a half volley wide.

That prompted the first appearance of Allardyce in his technical area, greeted with a mixed reception from home fans, while Benitez was given more of a barracking because of his obvious Liverpool connections.

For the majority of the opening half the actual entertainment was provided more by the Newcastle supporters than the action on the pitch, with Everton’s supporters taunted regularly by anti-Allardyce chants.

Newcastle looked capable on the counter-attack but didn’t do enough to seriously test Jordan Pickford, as the ex-Sunderland goalkeeper had to smile at some of the songs directed his way from the travelling support.

The most threatened he must have felt before the break was when he had to jump strongly on his line to hold a deep cross from Matt Ritchie when Slimani put him under pressure to gather successfully.

There was also a wasted through pass from Ayoze Perez for the striker which Pickford had to be alert to gather having created the problem for himself by kicking straight to Perez under pressure from Kenedy.

Before that Everton had gone closest to scoring, even if Martin Dubravka had hardly been rushed off his feet either.

When Wayne Rooney’s delivery into the area was nodded down by Michael Keane, Phil Jagielka arrived unmarked at the back post only to volley off target with his outstretched boot.

Everton, who also went close with a Walcott drive that rose just over the bar, had just started to make more of an impression when the half-time whistle arrived. Benitez needed his players to keep the ball better after the restart.

But after Perez should have put Newcastle ahead at one end moments after the restart, Everton found the breakthrough after exposing some slack marking at the back post at the other end.

Yannick Bolasie’s deep cross was controlled by Walcott, who had swapped flanks. The England international, near to the by-line, cut inside DeAndre Yedlin and Jamaal Lascelles before firing high inside the roof of Dubravka’s net.

That sparked the game into life at least, with Newcastle showing more urgency to win the ball back even if they still lacked the sort of composure in possession which has turned their season around in recent months.

Slimani’s withdrawal just after the hour almost led immediately to an equaliser. Dwight Gayle, who can count himself unlucky to have been left out, shot over from close range as he tried to react to Lascelles’ knock down from Ritchie’s corner.

Then with 20 minutes remaining Newcastle finally had an effort on target when Perez’s header – as he looked to score for the fourth game in a row – dropped comfortably into the arms of Pickford after Kenedy’s cross.

There was a Ritchie free-kick that curled a yard wide and plenty of pressure from the men wearing black and white from there on in.

Pickford was not tested anywhere near enough though and Everton didn’t really look in much danger of conceding until Seamus Coleman had to be alert with the last attack to head clear from the line.

This might not have been the perfect way to reach a century, but Benitez remains adored at Newcastle. And he knows it.