Newcastle's struggles in the Premier League continued as Eddie Howe's side were beaten 3-2 at home by Everton.
Having secured a tie against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek, the Magpies put in a lacklustre performance against the Toffees to see them fall further off the pace in the race for European football next season.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Beto scored either side of a deflected bolt-from-the-blue from Jacob Ramsey to give the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead, and a scruffy Thierno Barry winner then followed Jacob Murphy's second-half goal.
The result saw David Moyes' men respond to their defeat to Manchester United on Monday Night Football and climb back into the top eight.
Despite resting several key players for the Champions League win over Qarabag, the hosts started slowly, inviting pressure on Nick Pope's goal.
They were eventually punished as the in-form James Garner found the head of Branthwaite with a wicked corner, with the defender applying a deft touch to find the net via the inside of the post.
As the St James' Park crowd got on the back of the home side, they managed to find a breakthrough themselves. Sandro Tonali's defence-splitting pass found the feet of Ramsey, whose deflected shot looped over Jordan Pickford and nestled in the back of the net.
Just 105 seconds later though, the visitors regained the initiative. Dwight McNeil's effort from range was spilled by Pope into the path of the onrushing Beto, who smashed the ball into the empty net from close range for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
Newcastle had scored 19 goals in the final quarter of an hour of games this season prior to kick-off, and Howe rolled the dice by bringing on attacking players in search for the 20th. They found it through one of his changes as Murphy fired past a crowd of players to level.
However, lightning struck twice as Newcastle again immediately lost parity, substitute Barry bundling Everton back in front straight from the restart.
That would not be the end of the drama, though, as Tonali thought he had volleyed home a stunning stoppage-time equaliser only for Pickford to produce an extraordinary flying stop to secure the points.
The result means Newcastle have just one win in their last seven Premier League games, while Everton remain unbeaten in their last six away from home as they continue their unlikely push for a European place.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe:
"Certainly in relation to the Premier League, our form for a while has not been good enough. We know that, we take responsibility for that.
"It's been really frustrating and that is the perils of Europe, I'm afraid. We've tried to be laser-focused on every game and give every attention to every game with the same importance.
"But with the deluge of games, your focus can be swayed and yes, our Premier League return in recent weeks has been nowhere near the level that it has been historically, and our home form, which has been so reliable for us, has tailed off.
"We've got to try to grab that back as quickly as possible."
Everton boss David Moyes:
"For 25 minutes of the first half, we played really well and we were a bit unlucky. But the resilience away from home here…
"But nothing more than you would expect from Newcastle. They put us under a lot of pressure down the hill, which we knew was coming, but we stuck at it in the main."
Analysis by Your Site' Rich Morgan:
David Moyes said in the build-up to Everton's tricky looking trip to Newcastle that his players were not ready just yet to give up on their ambition of European football next season and those hopes are still very much alive after their scintillating 3-2 win at St James' Park.
A fortnight ago, the Toffees could have moved into sixth place, only for back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Manchester United to see them slip to ninth. But Saturday's victory moves them up to eighth, just three points off seventh-placed Brentford and with the top six now within striking distance.
The manner of the visitors' display in the north east, in which they not only defended resolutely throughout but also twice responded to being pegged back by the Magpies, only to immediately go back in front, bodes well for their final 10 games of the campaign.
And when you take into account that only league leaders Arsenal have won more top-flight away points [29] than Everton [24] this season, then the Toffees must now have every chance of qualifying for Europe for a fifth time under Moyes.
Analysis by Your Site' Callum Bishop:
The dominant win in Azerbaijan in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round gave Eddie Howe a rare opportunity. An opportunity to rotate his side and rest players in the second leg.
Given that his side had won just once in six previous Premier League games, having his stars fit and firing for the visit of Everton would in theory give him the best chance of stopping the rot.
And yet, the Magpies looked as depleted as ever.
The performance was slow, jaded and lacked any imagination. St James' Park is usually a fortress of noise, but was often left silent as fans had very little to get behind. And anytime there was some hope, it would be snatched away by a clinical Everton.
Barcelona are waiting in the round of 16 of the Champions League. But surely Howe and his men have to prepare for that tie knowing that it could surely be the final time they hear the famous anthem this year.
The defeat leaves Newcastle 12 points adrift of the fifth spot that is expected to be enough to qualify for Europe's elite competition. They've even got work to do if they want to make the Europa League or Conference League.
Pressure is growing at St James'. Pressure is growing on the players. Pressure is most definitely growing on Eddie Howe.
Callum Bishop
