Ayoze Perez’s opening minute goal has given Newcastle United a 1-0 lead over Town at half-time at St James’ Park.
The Blues made three changes to the team which beat Burton 2-0 on Tuesday with Jonathan Douglas, Conor Grant and Grant Ward coming into the side for Cole Skuse, who missed out with the toe injury which forced him off against the Brewers, and Kevin Bru and Teddy Bishop, who dropped to the bench.
Ward joined Douglas and Grant in central midfield with Tom Lawrence on the right and Sears on the left and former Magpie Leon Best the main striker.
David McGoldrick, back after the ankle injury he suffered in August, and Jonny Williams were both included among the substitutes.
Newcastle made three changes from the team which won 2-0 at Barnsley on Tuesday with DeAndre Yedlin, Ayoze Perez and former Town loanee Jack Colback coming into the side for Vurnon Anita, Mohamed Diame and Isaac Hayden.
The game got off to the worst possible start for the Blues with the home side going in front inside the opening minute.
Paul Dummett was found on the left and whipped over a cross which Dwight Gayle flicked on to Perez, who was breaking in unmarked at the far post from where he volleyed a low shot past Bartosz Bialkowski, who was yet to touch the ball.
Newcastle passed the ball around confidently in the minutes immediately after the goal with the Blues rarely touching the ball but the Magpies didn’t create another opportunity until the eighth minute when Yedlin cut the ball back from the left but Gayle shot over.
The Blues, who had switched Ward to wide right and Lawrence to the left with Sears moving behind Best, almost got back on terms with their first shot of the game in the ninth minute.
Following a corner the ball fell to Best, who hit a shot on the turn from inside the box which crashed against the crossbar with home keeper Karl Darlow well beaten.
But Newcastle were still on top and on 13 Matt Ritchie curled an effort not too far wide, the ball catching a Town defender on its way wide. From the corner, Youan Gouffran shot well over.
After both sets of fans had joined in chants of ‘There’s only one Bobby Robson’, Ritchie went close again in the 19th minute. After the former Bournemouth winger’s initial pass had been blocked by Christophe Berra, the ball rebounded back to him and his low shot deflected wide.
The impressive hosts were starting to create opportunities with concerning regularity and a minute later Gayle saw his low cross from the right bundled behind from the right.
On 26 Adam Webster intercepted a Newcastle pass on the edge of the Blues box following a throw on their right and brought the ball well into the Magpies half riding a cynical Jonjo Shelvey challenge on his way.
The former Portsmouth man looked for options either side of him but eventually opted to curl a 20-yard shot, which flew not too far wide of Darlow’s right post.
Shelvey was lucky to avoid a booking for his attempted challenge but a minute later referee James Adcock showed Colback the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Sears.
Newcastle claimed a penalty in the 35th minute when Gayle was played in one-on-one with Bialkowski and crashed to the ground as the Polish keeper dived at his feet. The former Crystal Palace man was convinced the referee should have pointed to the spot, while Bialkowski was similarly adamant he had got the ball.
As the half moved into its final five scheduled minutes Knudsen was booked for a foul on Yedlin as the US international broke quickly down the right. A minute later, Ritchie shot well wide from distance.
Skipper Luke Chambers headed over from a Lawrence near-post corner on 44, then moments before the whistle Best required treatment for what appeared to be a dislocated finger.
The Blues will probably have been pleased to have gone in only a single goal down at the break, the home side having dominated the half.
Conceding in the opening minute was the worst possible start for Town with manager Mick McCarthy having noted Newcastle’s tendency to start games brightly in his pre-match press conference.
The Magpies, who passed the ball around slickly and at pace when in the final third, had created plenty of opportunities and will they will feel they should have hit the target more regularly.
But they were well in control with Town struggling to get hold of the ball and only really threatened when Best hit the bar and Webster made his run forward.
McCarthy made two half-time changes with McGoldrick replacing Best, probably due to injury, and Josh Emmanuel taking over from Knudsen, the Dane perhaps also having taken a knock.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen (Emmanuel 46), Douglas, Grant, Ward, Lawrence, Sears, Best (McGoldrick 46). Subs: Gerken, Bishop, Digby, Bru, Williams.
Newcastle: Darlow, Clark, Dummett, Colback, Lascelles (c), Gayle, Ritchie, Shelvey, Perez, Gouffran, Yedlin. Subs: Anita, Hayden, Diame, Mbemba, Sels, Atsu, Mitrovic. Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire).