Newcastle United 1 Everton 1: David Moyes mentioned art, War and Peace, and Europe after this latest exhibition of skilful defiance on the road.

Everton's season is acquiring an epic landscape that may see them book tickets for aeroplanes to the Continent at the end of it.

Moyes is reluctant to target destinations for his team, but with every good result it becomes tougher for the Scot to downplay Everton's travel ambitions.

Yesterday Everton reached 30 points and stayed 10 ahead of Newcastle United in doing so. As Moyes said afterwards: "Newcastle will be challenging for Europe, no doubt, and we're 10 points ahead of them - so why not?"

Defying bleak expectations as well as opponents is the story so far of Everton's uplifting season, and Moyes and his players are clearly enjoying every minute of it.

Moyes recalled how going to Crystal Palace in the second game was "called a six-pointer" by those of us who tipped Everton to be relegated, and added that the blossoming team spirit born on their pre-season tour of the US and nurtured by their 2-0 win at Selhurst Park that day "is actually getting better, dare I say it. It's the best I've ever experienced."

Moyes then added that Everton are not yet "at the level" of Newcastle, but that was false modesty: Newcastle have one league win in five, or four in 10 under Graeme Souness in the Premiership. Everton have lost one in seven.

Beginning at Stamford Bridge, moreover, Newcastle have three away games in their next four; starting at home to Bolton, Everton have three of their next four at Goodison Park.

Or Goodison Spark, as it is being re-christened, though it is away from Merseyside where Everton have won 17 of their 30 points total.

Only Chelsea have a better away record than Everton, and while Souness sought luck as a partial explanation, he had the grace to put that in the context of Gary Player's remark that the harder he worked, the luckier he got. "Everton deserve credit for that," Souness said.

They do, and their central defensive pairing of David Weir and Alan Stubbs merited praise for every jump, lunge, block and tackle of a frenetic afternoon.

Craig Bellamy was a constant menace for Stubbs and Weir, and his fifth-minute exchange with Patrick Kluivert was the beginning of an invigorating 35 minutes for Newcastle.

Receiving Lee Bowyer's flicked header, Bellamy found Kluivert first time; the Dutchman, establishing a rapport with Bellamy in the absence of the injured Alan Shearer, returned the compliment with an inch-perfect pass.

Stubbs and Weir were split and Bellamy raced 30 yards before drilling a side-foot shot past Nigel Martyn.

"I know I get a lot more goals playing alongside Patrick," Bellamy said, which will please Shearer.

It was Bellamy's ninth goal of the season, his third in consecutive matches and it offered Everton a glimpse of a long day on the back foot.

But, as Moyes pointed out, Everton are increasingly comfortable in that position. "We fought tooth and nail for everything today," he said. "Newcastle scored a terrific goal and we had to batten down the hatches for half an hour after that. But you have got to think about how well the boys blocked and defended after that. That's an art as well."

As Newcastle clicked in that first period, Martyn made a fingertip stop from Jermaine Jenas, captain in Shearer's absence, and Jenas then struck the crossbar with a scissors-kick. When Bellamy tore at Everton again, Kluivert had a volley hoofed off the line by Stubbs.

It was one-way traffic, and yet the half ended with Shay Given saving from Stubbs and Tim Cahill then put a backheel a foot past.

Newcastle opened the second half with Kieron Dyer hitting the side-netting and Kluivert fluffing a set-up from Bellamy.

But then in the 56th minute Aaron Hughes clipped Marcus Bent on the edge of the Newcastle area and from the free-kick Lee Carsley curled the ball past Given at speed. It was a great strike.

Three minutes later Bellamy hit the post with a 20-yard shot, but for all Newcastle's pressure after that Bent should have made it 2-1 for Everton when he rounded Given in the 75th minute only to miss the open net.

Newcastle persevered to claim an 84th-minute penalty when Dyer caught Kevin Kilbane and fell, but it was the 88th minute before Everton truly shook again. Kluivert found Bellamy this time and the Welshman steadied himself before belting a shot from eight yards. But Alessandro Pistone, once of this parish, blocked with his backside.

Infamously, Pistone had his heart questioned at Newcastle. No one questions Everton's now. Appreciation of their art will come.