Newcastle United assistant manager John Carver has admitted that it was a relief to end their recent poor run by beating Everton 3-2 at St James' Park.

The Magpies headed into the game on the back of three straight defeats, and Carver believes that the win was vital ahead of games against Burnley and Leicester City in the Premier League and FA Cup.

"It's nice to get a result after a tricky few games. We got off to a bad start but looked a different team after the first five minutes," Carver told BBC Sport as Alan Pardew skipped media duties after the game.

"We took the game to Everton and got a deserved win. When you have had a run of games were you haven't won, it's very important to get the win.

"We've got back-to-back home games with Burnley coming up. They had a great result today so we know it's going to be a difficult game."

Newcastle meet Burnley on New Year's Day, and they will be welcoming a confident side following their 2-2 draw with Manchester City.