Ayoze Perez scored twice and Matt Ritchie once as Newcastle United comfortably beat Town 3-0 at St James’ Park. Perez put the home side in front in the opening minute and added the second on 73, before Ritchie netted the third five minutes later. The Blues went closest to scoring when former Magpie Leon Best hit the bar in the first half.
Town 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 Best the main striker.
David McGoldrick, back after the ankle injury he suffered in August, and Jonny Williams were both included among the substitutes.
Championship leaders 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 by a raking Jonjo Shelvey pass and the Wales international whipped over a cross which Yoan Gouffran 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 Dwight 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, 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 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.
The Blues began the half seeing much more of the ball than they had during long spells of the first period and on 57 Chambers fed Ward, who sent over a cross towards McGoldrick but too close to Darlow, who claimed.
Newcastle had their first chance of the second half in the 64th minute when Ritchie volleyed wide from Dummett’s left-wing cross.
A minute later, Gouffran hit a shot from the edge of the box which Bialkowski batted away.
While the early stages of the second half were more even than the first had been, the hosts began to find their feet and were looking the more likely scorers.
And in the 74th minute they doubled their lead. After a long spell of passing, Ritchie crossed low from the right and an untracked Perez slammed a low shot past Bialkowski to claim his second goal of the game. A minute later, Christian Atsu took over from Gouffran.
As the clock moved past the 76-minute mark both sets of fans started chanting ‘There’s only one Bobby Robson’ and applauding the clubs’ legendary manager.
Soon after, Chambers crossed from the Town right to Douglas, who headed down and into the arms of Darlow.
On 78 any lingering doubts there might have been regarding the result were put to bed when Perez teed-up Ritchie on the edge of the box and the Scotland international powerfully smashed home to make it 3-0.
Newcastle switched Gayle for Mitrovic and then Shelvey for Isaac Hayden before, with seven minutes remaining, the Blues introduced Williams for Sears.
McGoldrick shot over from distance on 86, then a minute later Dummett was booked for a foul on Ward.
There were no further scares for the Blues and referee Adcock’s whistle confirmed what was a routine win for the home side.
Having gone behind in the opening minute, it was always going to be tough for the Blues, who battled gamely in their usual manner, but only seriously looked like getting back on terms when Best hit the bar and Webster made his run forward.
However, plenty of teams will visit St James’ Park with a similar result with the Magpies already looking champions in waiting.
Town drop to 17th in the table ahead of next week’s home game against Rotherham, who are now six points from safety at the bottom of the division.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen (Emmanuel 46), Douglas, Grant, Ward, Lawrence, Sears (Williams 83), Best (McGoldrick 46). Unused: Gerken, Bishop, Digby, Bru.
Newcastle: Darlow, Clark, Dummett, Colback, Lascelles (c), Gayle (Mitrovic 79), Ritchie, Shelvey (Hayden 83), Perez, Gouffran (Atsu 75), Yedlin. Unused: Anita, Diame, Mbemba, Sels. Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire). Att: 51,963 (Town: 2,700-ish).