Newcastle 0-1 Everton: Wayne Rooney stabs home to pile more misery of Rafa Benitez's men as Toffees continue to dazzle under new boss Sam Allardyce

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A day of promise was followed by a night of despair. If Newcastle United are to be sold, and there was progress on Wednesday with Amanda Staveley's takeover bid, then Mike Ashley might want to do it before his team slumps to the bottom of the Premier League.

That is where they are headed after a seventh defeat in eight, each loss complicating further the buyout process, especially with relegation clauses still up for discussion.

Manager Rafa Benitez is desperate for answers over how much money he will have to spend in January, and how badly they need it.

Wayne Rooney looked up to the travelling support and roared with joy after putting Everton 1-0 up at Newcastle

Everton forward Rooney reacted fastest to a Karl Darlow save to stab the ball home to open the scoring for the visitors

Everton defender Ashley Williams holds his head in disbelief after missing a gilt-edged opportunity to double the scoreline

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men just before the final whistle with Jonjo Shelvey getting his marching orders for two yellows

MATCH FACTS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

Newcastle (4-5-1): Darlow 4; Yedlin 6, Lascelles 6, Lejeune 6, Manquillo 6; Shelvey 5, Merino 7 (Perez 86); Atsu 6.5, Diame 6 (Joselu 67), Ritchie 7 (Aarons 74, 6); Gayle 6;

Subs not used: Elliot, Clark, Murphy, Hayden 

Booked: Shelvey, Merino

Sent off: Shelvey (90) 

Manager: Rafa Benitez 6

Everton (4-5-1): Pickford 7; Kenny 6, Holgate 6.5, Williams 6.5, Martina 6.5; Gueye 6, Schneiderlin 6; Lennon 6 (Vlasic 61), Rooney 7.5 (Davies 76, 6), Sigurdsson 6 (Jagielka 85); Calvert-Lewin 6.5;

Subs not used: Keane, Niasse, Lookman, Robles

Goalscorers: Rooney (27)

Booked: Holgate

Manager: Sam Allardyce 7

Referee: Martin Atkinson 7

Attendance: 51, 042

MOM: Rooney

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Wayne Rooney finished off a fine Everton move by stabbing home the winner after 27 minutes. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail's brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.

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And to think, this was actually one of their better performances. Since the start of November, however, no club in Europe's top five divisions has picked up fewer points than Newcastle's solitary one.

They were undone here by a familiar foe. How Newcastle must wish they had pulled off an audacious bid for Wayne Rooney in the summer of 2004. He has been scoring goals against them ever since.

This was his 15th against the club who, at one point, met with Rooney's agent as they tried to rival Manchester United's offer some 13 years ago. That tally is more than he has versus any other team.

Home supporters had ventured to St James' Park on Wednesday night dreaming of ambitious transfer moves such as that approach for Rooney. For news of Staveley's £300million bid had lifted a mood made miserable by three straight defeats on Tyneside.

By full-time all optimism had evaporated. Make no mistake, this is a club in crisis.

Benitez said: 'I have no information on the takeover. All I need to know is how much money I will have for January as soon as possible.' 

Both managers, Rafa Benitez (left) and Sam Allardyce, shout out instructions to their players from the technical areas

The ball bounces off Rooney's head as he goes to challenge in the air with Newcastle midfielder Shelvey

Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles shows pure concentration to pluck the ball out of the sky and bring it under control 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin gets dispossessed by Newcastle defender Lascelles during the first half at St James' Park 

He went on to lament individual errors. Again. The culprit here was goalkeeper Karl Darlow. Again.

Benitez chose to drop Rob Elliot last month in favour of Darlow. He, however, has conceded eight times in four games since and Benitez must be wondering why he ever made the change, especially after seeing him gift the winner to Rooney on 27 minutes.

For Everton and former Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, this took their return to seven points from nine under his charge and it was a first away win since January. 

'That stat shocked me,' said Allardyce. 'So it pleases me even more we've achieved an away win. I have come to clubs in trouble before but have never turned a disapponting set of results around so quickly.

'But yes, it was a good time to play Newcastle. There is a lack of confidence in the side.'

Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson escapes the attention of DeAndre Yedlin and looks to spring a counter attack

Mohamed Diame puts Everton's goalscorer Rooney under pressure as he looks to regain possession in the middle of the park

Jonjoe Kenny clears the danger by hoofing the ball up field as Matt Ritchie closes him down to try and prevent him

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford comfortably collects a loose ball in Everton's penalty area with Dwight Gayle lurking

Allardyce — who was sacked by Ashley in 2008 — also warned that not all takeovers are good news.

'If Mike steps down and a new regime moves in then the hope is you will see the sort of money you're expecting,' he said.

'But you don't really know yet. A lot of people come in to make money in the Premier League because you can.'

That will hardly go down well with Newcastle supporters.

But at least they saw their team on the offensive in the first half. They have tried every other tactic and failed of late, so why not give all-out attack a go?

Newcastle forward Christian Atsu turns sharply to get away from Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin

Rooney is forced off during the second half at St James' Park after the goalscorer picked up a minor injury

Kenny leaps in the air and beats Ritchie to the header to flick the ball on to a team-mate as Mikel Merino watches on

Matt Ritchie had an early shot snaffled by Jordan Pickford and, when he finally did beat the England goalkeeper with a vicious blast from 18 yards, he was thwarted by the angle of post and bar.

What a pivotal moment that proved, for within 60 seconds Everton were in front. 

Rooney was involved in the build-up, freeing Dominic Calvert-Lewin down the right. He crossed and, somehow, Newcastle allowed Aaron Lennon, the smallest man on the park, to head on goal. What should have been a routine save for Darlow turned into a horrible spill and Rooney stole in to score.

To their credit, the hosts went right back at the Toffees and midfielder Mikel Merino struck the inside of the post from fully 35 yards.

But after the break Newcastle offered nothing and their misery was complete when Jonjo Shelvey was sent off after picking up a second booking for a stoppage-time chop on Idrissa Gueye.

Calvert-Lewin tries to escape the attention of two Newcastle midfielders and has his shirt tugged by Merino

Everton substitute Tom Davies times his sliding challenge superbly to dispossess the advancing Newcastle defender Yedlin

Newcastle manager Benitez contests from the sideline after a refereeing decision goes against his team