*Aston Villa’s revival under new manager Martin O’Neill gathered pace as they beat Newcastle in front of new majority shareholder Randy Lerner.*

Luke Moore pounced after Newcastle failed to clear a free-kick and slotted in a low shot to put Villa ahead.

Juan Pablo Angel ran on to a subtle Gabriel Agbonlahor pass and side-footed home to double the lead.

Struggling Newcastle’s hopes were all-but-ended when Obafemi Martins went off injured to reduce them to 10 men.

Lerner had taken a seat next to chairman Doug Ellis, whose shares he has purchased, at the start of the game and was greeted with warm applause from the fans below the directors’ box.

The American billionaire was also quickly given a goal to cheer as Moore put the home side ahead after just two minutes.

The visitors had only arrived at Villa Park 45 minutes prior to kick-off because of traffic and were caught out when centre-back Titus Bramble failed to clear a long diagonal free-kick.

Moore seized on the loose ball and evaded a challenge from Scott Parker before he cut to his right and shot past keeper Shay Given’s despairing dive.

James Milner had a chance to level shortly afterwards when he was afforded space at the far post but, on the turn, the midfielder’s strike went high.

The Magpies began to dominate possession but were kept at arm’s length by a tenacious and tigerish Villa led by skipper Gareth Barry, who had signed a four-year deal prior to the match.

And Lerner had more to smile about when a counter-attack by the Midlanders saw the pacy Agbonlahor release Angel to round Given and slide in a shot.

Newcastle’s new £10m signing Martins was given his debut by boss Glenn Roeder but he struggled with the pace of the game.

He was forced off with an apparent thigh injury after his landing from jumping for a header on the hour mark.

Roeder had used his allocated three substitutions and the visitors were forced to play the rest of the game with 10 men.

Newcastle still tried in vain to attack but left themselves exposed at the back and it seemed more likely that Villa would extend their lead.

Angel went close and Moore rattled the woodwork but the visitors fended off their rivals, who have now won two games on the trot for the first time since November 2005.

*Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill:*

“I’ve done absolutely nothing at all.

“These players have done it themselves and, in fact, they keep me going to be perfectly honest.

“There is a good spirit within them and they want to play.”