A first half of little quality saw Everton Women go into the break with the lead, thanks to a well-struck Yuka Momiki free kick.
Two strikes in 60-second half seconds from Katja Snoeijs saw the Toffees take a 3-0 lead, before Beth Lumsden struck late on to record her first goal of the season.
The grey and gloomy conditions surrounding the Gateshead International Stadium were almost mirrored on the pitch, with neither side able to impose themselves in the final third.
With both sides struggling to put together a good display, it was always likely that a piece of magic would be required to break the deadlock.
So, up stepped Momiki to take a free-kick from 20 yards, which she whipped over the wall and into the side netting, leaving Claudia Moan with no chance.
Despite not having a chance with Momiki’s goal, she did well to keep the Lasses in the game six minutes after the restart when she narrowed Page’s angle when running through on goal and spread herself superbly to deny the striker.
United looked to be growing into the game just before the hour mark with some confident play from Freya Gregory to stand up her marker and play in Emily Murphy.
The Republic of Ireland international took one touch before teeing up the on-rushing Jordan Nobbs, who thumped an effort towards the near post but was denied by Courtney Brosnan.
Just three minutes later and the Lasses looked destined to go two down when an Everton cross from the right evaded everyone and looked to nestle in the net before Lia Cataldo cleared off the line.
An entertaining nine minutes saw a lot of action in the United box, including Moan pulling off another miraculous save when she tipped a Payne header onto the crossbar from point-blank range.
However, a disappointing 60 seconds saw United concede two goals when a simple cross from the right-hand side of the box found Snoeijs, who had the simple task of tapping home into an empty net.
Less than a minute later and Payne robbed Moan of possession in the box to hand her an open goal and get her name on the scoresheet.
Five minutes later and Newcastle showed that never-say-die attitude once again when Lumsden bundled home her first of the season after Murphy flicked on Nobbs’ corner at the near post.
While it wasn’t the end to the League Cup that United had hoped for, there was a late moment of positivity when Under-21s player Amelia Freeman came on for her first-team debut.
Newcastle United Women: Claudia Moan, Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield (Demi Stokes 75), Shania Hayles (Oona Sevenius 5), Freya Gregory (Molly Pike 75), Deanna Cooper (c) (Aoife Mannion 46), Malgorzata Grec, Jasmine McQuade, Beth Lumsden (Amelia Freeman 90+4), Emily Murphy, Lia Cataldo
Subs not used: Anna Tamminen, Hannah Hawkins, Charlotte Wardlaw, Abbie Richardson.
