Robert Lee produced the goal that turned his clash of UEFA Cup contenders. Villa shrugged side the physical demands of their thrilling win over Inter Milan on Thursday to rattle the Premiership leaders until Lee bowled them over after 66 minutes.

Receiving from Ruel Fox, Lee turned to send in a shot that swerved wickedly through the air. When the ball hit the ground in front of Nigel Spink, the goalkeeper was moving to his right as it skipped past him to his left.

That was Lee's 11th goal in 11 matches and surely one of the most important as Newcastle bid for the title.

Villa came storming out to put Newcastle under siege from the start and with a little luck, Guy Whittingham, replacement for the injured Dean Saunders, might have had a hat-trick.

When Andy Townsend saw his 61st minute piledriver beaten out by Pavel Srnicek and young striker Graham Fenton miscue the rebound, Villa began to think it was not their day.

Lee cashed in on their fears and seven minutes from the end, Andy Cole compounded Villa's misery with a second goal.

Paul Kitson, Newcastle's £2.25m signing from Derby. played an important part in the build-up on his debut. The substitute held the ball up intelligently after Cole battled against Paul McGrath to win it.

Kitson returned Cole's pass into his path, and the England U-21 striker slammed the ball home to match Lee's 11 goals in 11 games record.