Carew Spoilt Keegan's Return Party!

The Magpies looked on course for their first win in nine Barclays Premier League games after Michael Owen gave them a fourth-minute lead.

But Carew's treble blast after Wilfred Bouma's first-ever Villa goal kept Martin O'Neill's side on course for a European spot.

Villa were transformed in the second 45 minutes after barely causing the visitors a problem in the opening 45 half.

And their fans taunted the travelling Toon Army with chants of 'we want Keegan out' after Carew had become Villa's leading scorer this season with nine goals.

Villa clearly missed the presence of the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor up front in the first half.

But the introduction of Marlon Harewood at half-time made a big difference and the former West Ham forward troubled Newcastle with his physical power.

Newcastle will take some heart from their first-half performance with James Milner a threat from the right flank against the club he spent a season on loan with.

But Keegan will be concerned with the way his side were overwhelmed for long periods once Villa had stepped up a gear.

Villa started brightly and Shaun Maloney did well to latch onto a flick-on from Carew and hold off the challenge of Cacapa before squaring the ball back to Stiliyan Petrov.

But the Bulgaria international was quickly closed down as he lined up a shot and his eventual effort sliced well wide of Shay Given's goal.

Then after four minutes Newcastle went ahead courtesy of Owen's second goal in two games.

Damien Duff's initial cross was charged down but Milner picked up the loose ball and delivered an inviting cross towards the near post.

Owen and Steven Taylor attacked the ball but it was the England striker who got the crucial touch with a goal-bound header which brushed off Villa skipper Gareth Barry before entering the net.

It was a perfect pick-me-up for Owen after being left on the substitutes' bench by new England coach Fabio Capello throughout Wednesday's friendly international with Switzerland.

And it means he has moved above Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink into seventh place in the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers with 129 to his credit.

Villa tried to retaliate and Barry appealed in vain for a penalty after his fierce shot appeared to strike the hand of Joey Barton.

The deflection wrong-footed Given but also took some of the pace out of the shot and he was able to recover and retrieve the situation before the ball crossed the line.

Newcastle gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area 20 yards out after Taylor tugged at the shirt of Carew but Maloney curled his effort over the bar and onto the roof of the net.

Newcastle looked the better side and a reverse pass from Milner played in Owen but he lacked the necessary pace to sprint into the space opening up in front of him and Curtis Davies was able to make the tackle.

Young was being doubled-marked but still got in a cross which found its way to Olof Mellberg at the far post although he could not keep his shot down.

Villa's best chance of the first half came three minutes before the interval when Given did well to keep out a close-range header from Carew.

O'Neill decided to make a double half-time substitution replacing Mellberg and the ineffective Petrov with Craig Gardner and Harewood.

And the home side turned their fortunes around by striking twice in the first six minutes of the second half through Bouma and Carew.

After 48 minutes Bouma brought the Holte End to its feet with his first goal for Villa after nearly three years at the club.

Maloney won the ball on the left and turned it back into the path of the Dutch international whose low left-footed shot took a deflection which wrong-footed Given and flew into the corner of the net.

Then three minutes later Carew put Villa in front with his seventh goal of the campaign.

Young's inswinging corner was met by the giant Norwegian international whose glancing header flew into the far corner of the net.

Carew ran away to celebrate with the Villa fans and was promptly booked by referee Lee Mason.

Newcastle were forced to make a substitution with the injured Given replaced between the posts by Steve Harper.

Villa were now in command and Nicky Butt picked up his 11th booking of the campaign for a foul on Young.

Harper made two superb saves in quick succession to keep out fierce drives from Gardner.

But with 18 minutes Carew struck for the second time to put Villa 3-1 ahead. Maloney's shot from a Young corner was deflected across goal and there was a scramble before Carew headed home.

Then with seconds remaining Carew completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Stephen Carr handled.

Billionaire and new club owner Lerner was given a rousing reception when he took his seat in the directors' box after flying in from America to watch the game - and within two minutes Moore had broken the deadlock.

Villa made sure of victory with Angel's second goal of the campaign before half-time to move within two points of leaders Manchester United and ahead of Everton on alphabetical order.

To add to Villa's joy, new skipper Gareth Barry signed a four-year contract before kick-off which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2010.

But Newcastle's misery in losing their 12-game unbeaten run was compounded when new signing Obafemi Martins was carried off on a stretcher after the interval with what looked like a knee injury.

Moore gave Villa the ideal start after Barry was brought down by Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker.

The Magpies failed to deal with his floated free-kick from midway in the Newcastle half.

The ball eventually broke to Moore on the edge of the box and he steadied himself before planting a low drive past Shay Given into the corner of the net.

It was the first goal of the campaign for Moore, who is playing with a shoulder problem.

Former Villa player Nolberto Solano was booed every time he touched the ball but he nearly set up a equaliser for James Milner who had spent last season on loan at Villa Park.

Solano's corner found its way to Milner at the far post but after turning sharply he was unable to keep down his shot, which flew over Thomas Sorensen's crossbar.

Barry became the first player to be yellow-carded for a challenge on Damien Duff and Emre followed him into the book for shoving Gavin McCann.

Newcastle enjoyed more than their share of possession and Damien Duff was not far off target with a 20-yard drive from the left of the Villa area.

But after 38 minutes a clinical piece of finishing by Angel - his second goal of the campaign - doubled Villa's lead.

The Colombian international timed his run perfectly to seize onto a pass from Gabriel Agbonlahor and get in behind Titus Bramble before slotting the ball into the corner of the net.

Newcastle had a rare effort on target from Duff but his 20-yard drive was comfortably dealt with by Sorensen.

Magpies boss Glenn Roeder opted for a double half-time substitution, bringing on Albert Luque and Charles N'Zogbia replacing Solano and Celestine Babayaro respectively.

Sorensen went down to cling onto a low drive from Duff after Martins had found him in plenty of space to the left of the Villa area.

But the home side retaliated and a floated pass from Barry picked out the run of Angel only for his touch to let him down and enable Titus Bramble to make a vital interception.

Roeder made his third substitution after 56 minutes, Nicky Butt taking over from Emre in midfield, but the visitors found themselves having to play the final half hour with 10 men.

Martins, signed for £10million in midweek from Inter Milan, landed awkwardly after an aerial challenge with Liam Ridgewell and he was clutching his knee before being carried off.

That effectively signalled the end of Newcastle's challenge and in injury-time Moore came close to grabbing a second goal when his cross-shot hit the bar.

Substitute Baros had a golden chance to bring Villa on level terms for a second time after he was brought down by Celestine Babayaro, who was deemed to be the last defender by referee Mike Riley.

But Baros opted to shoot straight down the middle of the goal and was outfoxed by Given, who kept his eye on the ball and saved with his feet.

Villa, lacking three of their first-choice midfield in Steven Davis, Gavin McCann and James Milner, camped in the Magpies half for the second period as they tried to make their numerical advantage count.

Baros looked lively and a threat apart from his spot-kick blunder and Gareth Barry did his best to drive Villa forward but Newcastle, for whom Given and defender Titus Bramble had solid games, stood firm.

A second win under academy director Roeder will buy chairman Freddy Shepherd more time as he searches for Graeme Souness' successor.

Villa will reflect on a home record of just three victories during the current campaign which has blighted their hopes of climbing into the top half of the table.

The damage was done for the home side in the first half when Newcastle were a constant threat with Emre causing plenty of problems and they also dominated the aerial exchanges.

Alan Shearer had become United's record goalscorer the previous week but he became creator in setting up the decisive strikes for Shola Ameobi and Charles N'Zogbia.

The game got off to a dramatic start with Newcastle taking the lead after only 80 seconds via Ameobi.

Former Villa player Nolberto Solano was booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball but the winger gave a perfect riposte by having a hand in the build-up to the goal.

Solano played the ball into Shearer whose delightful first-time flick allowed Ameobi a free run at goal from the right. He kept his cool before drilling a low shot cross Thomas Sorensen into the corner of the net.

Ameobi had a chance to double Newcastle's lead after he found himself in a good position 15 yards out but his shot struck Villa skipper Olof Mellberg.

Villa drew level in the 17th minute with Moore continuing his hot streak by scoring his fifth goal in the last three matches.

Moore was fouled by Bramble but got off the ground to meet the resulting free-kick by Craig Gardner at the near post and send a glancing header past Given.

Villa defender Mark Delaney became the first player to be booked for chopping down Ameobi with a mistimed challenge.

Barry cut inside to try his luck with a dipping 25 yarder which flew only a yard wide before Newcastle regained the lead after half an hour through N'Zogbia's fifth goal of the campaign.

Shearer was again the creator with another inch-perfect ball into the path of Solano whose powerful shot was beaten out by Sorensen.

The Villa defence seemed slow to react to the rebound and N'Zogbia needed no second invitation to turn the ball into the corner of the net.

Newcastle were dominating in the air and the home were grateful to Delaney for clearing off the line from Shearer's powerful shot on the turn after Ameobi had headed an Emre corner into his path.

Jean-Alain Boumsong should have done better when he met a corner from Emre but his downward header bounced over Sorensen's crossbar. Lee Hendrie could have equalised in first half injury-time but scuffed his attempted volley past the post from Barry's cross.

Gardner was booked for a foul on Scott Parker as Newcastle dominated the opening exchanges of the second period.

Parker also went into Riley's notebook for a challenge on Hendrie who was injured in the process and replaced as part of a double substitution in the 56th minute.

Hendrie and Kevin Phillips made way for Juan Pablo Angel and Baros as Villa switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

David O'Leary was forced into another change when Gardner limped off to be replaced by Liam Ridgewell.

Angel had an early chance to make an impact but failed to connect properly with his left-footed drive which Given saved comfortably.

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men when Babayaro was deemed to be the last man when he brought down Baros in the box.

Baros stepped up to take the penalty but his low shot straight down the middle of the goal was kept out by Given.

Liam Ridgewell hit the bar with a thumping header from Peter Whittingham's corner and Given tipped over Angel's volley as Newcastle held out.

ASTON VILLA v TOON - PREMIERSHIP YEARS ...

 2008/2009 Mon 03 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Aston Villa Premier League  
 2007/2008 Sat 09 Feb Aston Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  
  Sat 18 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Aston Villa Premier League  
 2006/2007 Wed 31 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sun 27 Aug Aston Villa 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 2005/2006 Sat 11 Feb Aston Villa 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 03 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
 2004/2005 Sat 02 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sat 28 Aug Aston Villa 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 2003/2004 Sun 18 Apr Aston Villa 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 01 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
 2002/2003 Mon 21 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sat 07 Dec Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 2001/2002 Tue 02 Apr Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 03 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership  
 2000/2001 Sat 19 May Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Wed 17 Jan Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup  
  Sun 07 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa F.A. Cup  
  Sat 02 Dec Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 1999/2000 Sat 04 Dec Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 07 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
 1998/1999 Sat 30 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Wed 09 Sep Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 1997/1998 Sun 01 Feb Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 23 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership  
 1996/1997 Sat 11 Jan Aston Villa 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Mon 30 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 3 Aston Villa Premiership  
 1995/1996 Sun 14 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sat 18 Nov Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 1994/1995 Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sat 01 Oct Aston Villa 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 1993/1994 Wed 27 Apr Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership  
  Sat 02 Oct Aston Villa 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership