Attendance: 52,280
Rampant Sunderland recorded another derby-day success to remember as they ran out 3-0 winners on Tyneside for the second successive season.
Fabio Borini got the Black Cats on their way with an ice-cool 19th-minute penalty, with Adam Johnson's ninth goal of the season doubling the visitors' money four minutes later.
Gus Poyet's men never really looked like relinquishing that lead as they made it three wins from their last four Barclays Premier League games and six points in less than a week.
A Jack Colback rocket 10 minutes from time was the icing on the cake for Sunderland, who completed a 2013-14 double over their near neighbours having triumphed 2-1 on Wearside earlier in the campaign.
This was the Wearsiders' third successive derby win as they stretched their unbeaten run versus Newcastle to five games.
And Poyet will have been delighted with his side's application as the visitors quickly established a grip on the game and moved into a lead they would never lose.
The Uruguayan handed an immediate debut to Liam Bridcutt after the midfielder completed his move from Brighton on transfer deadline day, and the new boy acquitted himself admirably to start his Sunderland career with a bang.
The midfielder, who replaced Seb Larsson, was the only change to the side which started the 1-0 win over Stoke.
Newcastle created an early chance after just two minutes when Moussa Sissoko found Mathieu Debuchy, who dragged his low shot just wide of the far post.
But the visitors could have been ahead soon afterwards, as Vurnon Anita’s foul on Phil Bardsley gave Sunderland a free-kick and Marcos Alonso headed Johnson’s delivery just over the bar.
Davide Santon and Bardsley exchanged set pieces which both sailed high and wide, but the game’s first moment of real quality resulted in the visitors taking the lead 19 minutes in.
Johnson dinked a brilliant short ball into the path of Bardsley, who was bundled over by Anita as he looked to get a cross in.
Referee Phil Dowd was in no doubt, pointing immediately to the spot.
Borini stepped up to take a pressure penalty and came up big, ramming a powerful shot into the roof of the net to leave Tim Krul with no chance.
The finish was as emphatic as the eventual margin of victory.
And Poyet’s men stunned St James’ Park with a second goal four minutes later, again resulting from good build-up play.
Jozy Altidore released Colback with a clever flick and the midfielder saw his deflected shot clawed away at the last minute by Krul, but the alert Johnson beat Santon to the loose ball and slotted into the empty net.
Newcastle responded with a spell of pressure around the Sunderland box and Bardsley had to be alert to deny Debuchy, nicking the ball off the defender’s toe just when he looked set to pull the trigger after Shola Ameobi’s shot was blocked.
Johnson threatened again at the other end just after the half-hour, getting ahead of his marker to nod a lovely delivery from Alonso just over the top.
Altidore, who gave the Newcastle defence problems throughout, then received a neat ball from Borini and managed to burrow beyond three opponents to shoot low at Krul.
Newcastle’s only real other opportunity of the first period fell to Shola Ameobi, who blasted high into the stand from a decent position on the edge of the box.
The hosts introduced new signing Luuk de Jong off the bench in place of Sammy Ameobi at half time, and the striker had a half-chance seven minutes into his debut when he ended a good break by firing straight at Mannone from outside the box.
But Sunderland continued to get forward - Johnson firing a free-kick over the bar before Colback was desperately unlucky not to make it 3-0 when he saw a low angled drive from the left-hand edge of the box fly inches past the far post with Krul beaten.
Newcastle, though, weren't out of the contest with Mannone making a flying save away to his left to keep out a 64th-minute curler from Cheick Tiote.
The hosts were relieved two minutes later as Johnson’s struck the base of Krul's right-hand post with a fine curling effort after jinking away from a group of opponents in the box.
It was end to end stuff, with Mannone making another good save to deny Ameobi, advancing well to block with his chest after a long diagonal ball found the striker in space.
And from the resulting corner Ameobi’s header was nodded off the line by Borini before the loose ball ran for de Jong, whose shot was blocked.
All of a sudden a defensive mistake let in Altidore at the other end, but the big American had the ball nicked off his toes by Krul as he attempted to round the keeper.
Larsson replaced the excellent Johnson for the closing stages and the Swede almost made an immediate impact as he volleyed over at the back post with 11 minutes to go.
A third goal did arrive, though, as Colback came up with the finish he’d been threatening all afternoon to apply the gloss and send the visiting fans wild.
A quicksilver break was led by Borini, who steered the ball back into the path of the midfielder.
Colback did the rest, thumping a simply unstoppable drive into the top corner of Krul’s goal.
It was an emphatic finish – a stunning way to round off another derby to remember as Sunderland secured a maximum points return from their two games against their nearest rivals this season.