Newcastle United lead Town 3-0 at half-time at Portman Road.
Aside from the return of Sammie Szmodics, who missed the 2-1 win at Wolves last week as he was ill, for suspended number nine Liam Delap, it was the same side which lined up at Molineux. On the bench, Jacob Greaves came in for Luke Woolfenden.
Newcastle also made one change from the team which beat Leicester 4-0 last week and Brentford 3-1 in the Carabao Cup, both at St James’ Park, with midfielder Joelinton suspended. Joe Willock started in the Brazilian’s place.
The visitors had the ball in the net inside the first 25 seconds via the game’s first attack Jacob Murphy was sent away down the right and the former Norwich man’s cross was cut out by Morsy but only as far as Alexander Isak, who slammed home as he broke into the area.
Assistant referee Natalie Aspinall immediately raised her flag with Murphy having appeared well offside.
However, after a lengthy VAR check for the offside and also a potential handball, it was ruled that Cameron Burgess had played Murphy onside and the goal stood, much to the frustration of the Town players - who had clearly been anticipating a flag before it came - and the delight of the away fans in the Cobbold Stand.
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Having got their noses in front and with rain now falling heavily, the Magpies put the Blues under further pressure, Sandro Tonali shooting not too far over from just outside the area in the 10th minute.
But Szmodics had already made some impact on the left, then on 12 Omari Hutchinson struck an effort against a defender on the edge of the box, before Leif Davis, born in Newcastle and Magpies fan growing up, sent the ball back in from the left and Lewis Hall and Conor Chaplin clashed heads.
Newcastle should have gone two in front in the 14th minute when Murphy, who had had free rein down the right in the opening minutes, stood up a cross towards the far post but Anthony Gordon headed down into the ground and over the bar. It was a fortunate escape for the Blues.
Town started to see more of the ball and in the 20th minute Jens Cajuste turned away from Tino Livramento and took it on into the left of the area before shooting not too far over.
Moments later, Chaplin cleverly played Szmodics in on goal but keeper Martin Dubravka was quickly off his line to block.
The Blues kept the visitors pinned in their half for the next few minutes but without threatening Dubravka’s goal further.
On 23, Newcastle broke away after Town had lost possession but Morsy threw himself in to block as Murphy looked to shoot having been fed by skipper Bruno Guimaraes.
With the rain now falling even more heavily, the Magpies had another big opportunity in the 25th minute, Murphy finding Isak on the left of the area but the Swedish international striker tamely lifted the ball into Aro Muric’s arms when he will feel he should have been celebrating his and his side’s second goal of the afternoon.
But seven minutes later, the visitors were two goals in front. Gordon was found on the left of the box and was forced inside as he looked for space to shoot. Having been unable to get in an effort himself, he moved it on to Murphy on the right of the area and the wideman slammed past Muric and into the net off the underside of the bar.
As the game approached the 35-minute mark, Chaplin underwent treatment and the rest of the Town team went to the sidelines for instruction from manager Kieran McKenna and his staff with the Northern Irishman having his work cut out to get his team back into the match at this stage.
In the 42nd minute, Newcastle again broke quickly having gained possession on halfway and Isak curled a shot towards Muric’s left corner but the keeper was able to get across to save and claim at the second attempt.
As the half moved into four additional minutes, Szmodics, who scored against Newcastle for Blackburn in the FA Cup last season, picked up a pass from Cajuste and broke into the area on the left but shot over.
Seconds later, it was 3-0, the Magpies profiting from Town making a mess of playing it out from the back. Morsy passed back to Muric, who played it forward to Cajuste, who was dispossessed around 10 yards from his own goal by Guimaraes, who fed Isak, who won’t have an easy opportunity to score in his career, beating Muric to his left.
There was still time for Newcastle to have another chance before the break, Gordon sliding in and diverting the ball wide at the left post from a looping cross.
At the whistle, there were muted boos after the Blues’ worst defensive half of the season so far against perhaps the sharpest attack.
The offside decision on the first goal looked very, very tight, indeed most anticipated the assistant’s flag being upheld by VAR. However, the ball really ought to have been cleared from there by Morsy.
Town had had a spell where they had kept possession and created a couple of chances at 1-0, they had never really looked like causing the visitors’ defence too many problems.
But Newcastle had looked like scoring every time they attacked and probably should have added to their goals before they scored their second, while the third was a gift.
It looks like damage limitation from here with the game already all but over.
Town: Muric, H Clarke, O'Shea, Burgess, Davis, Cajuste, Morsy (c), Burns, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Szmodics. Subs: Walton, Phillips, Taylor, Al-Hamadi, Johnson, Townsend, Greaves, Broadhead, J Clarke.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Guimaraes (c), Tonali, Willock, Murphy, Isak, Gordon. Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley. Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire). VAR: John Brooks.