Twice Eddie Howe's men went behind at St. James' Park - to Jarrad Branthwaite's 19th minute opener then Beto's close range finish - but twice the black and whites came back, through Jacob Ramsey's second goal of the season and Murphy's effort.

But within a minute of Murphy's goal, Thierno Barry bundled the ball over the line to win the game for the Everton - with Jordan Pickford's stunning save from Sandro Tonali's thumping volley in the dying seconds capping off a frustrating day.

Murphy, a key part of the club's leadership group, ended the game wearing the captain's armband, and he fronted up after the final whistle. Here are some of his post-game thoughts:

On the final score...

"Disappointing result. We've done really well to get ourselves back in the game on two occasions and it was sloppy errors from us. It was our own doing and something that we have to be mindful of, and we have been mindful of, that we have to cut out these sloppy errors."

On conceding again so quickly after getting back on level terms for a second time...

"In hindsight, we take our time to celebrate, we regroup, but when the when the goal went in, I felt the momentum was really with us and I felt it was a time for us to keep pushing.

"For that to be undone within 60 seconds. I don't think anyone could have foreseen that. Looking in hindsight, we would have done things different. But second half, we sustained pressure a lot better, we were playing more free, there was more confidence in our build and rightly, the second goal came.

"We were in a good moment at that time, and we felt that we could then push on and go and get that third goal and put the game to bed - but we were undone."

On what was said in the dressing room after the game...

"We just know that the manner of which we conceded the goals is not good enough. We're going to have to take time, look at it back and identify... you can partially see where we might become a bit unstuck, but we can't keep giving away easy goals.

"We have to go back to our hard, steely self where teams really have to work to score past us. Today it was a bit too easy."

On looking to bounce back against Manchester United in midweek...

"That's been the beauty of this season - another game in three to four days.

"So time for reflection; everyone's going to be looking back at their own individual performances, the staff are going to comb through the performance and we need to find solutions that are going to put us in a better shape going into the Man U game."