Newcastle were in trouble early after Tommy Johnson, replacing the injured Andy Townsend, headed a positive minded Villa into a 22nd minute lead.

Les Ferdinand however scored with a goal that was pure route one. Goalkeeper Shaka Hislop boomed a high ball downfield to clear the Villa defence and as they looked in vain for an offside flag, Ferdinand bore down on Mark Bosnich and beat him from close range.

Brian Little’s sixth placed side had more than enough chances to inflict Newcastle’s first defeat since they went down at Southampton.

With Gary Charles turning the tables on David Ginola and gaining the run of the right flank, Villa long threatened control before gaining it in the 22nd minute.

Johnson headed wide from a Charles cross before the full back chipped into the middle for Savo Milosevic to force a good save from Hislop with a powerful header.

The Newcastle defence finally surrendered to the mesmerising footwork of Mark Draper. He danced into space inside their box and planted the ball on to the head of Johnson, criminally left unmarked at the back post.

The lead should have burgeoned before half time. Yorke flashing a show over and forcing a clearance from Peacock, while Hislop could not hold a cracking Johnson shot in the 37th minute, retrieving the loose ball off the toe of Milosevic.

Newcastle could have been 2-0 down before it became 1-1. Johnson’s driving run linking up with Charles, whose deep cross found Milosevic to shoot wide from a good position.