West Ham won the race for the striker, but injury has plagued him since his move to Upton Park.However, he was back on track on Sunday and gave Newcastle's new-look back-line a testing time, even scoring the first goal the Magpies have conceded at St James' Park this season.
Viduka put the Magpies in front within two minutes with a superb near-post header, but the Mags was unable to build on that and the visitors were back on terms 13 minutes before the break when Ashton converted Carlton's Cole's flick-on.
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley: "We have had to handle Dean Ashton very similarly to Michael Owen. The difference with Dean Ashton is that he has not had a setback yet.
"He has managed to come through pre-season and he is looking stronger and stronger.
"He is just happy playing at the moment.
"Lee Bowyer's effort, if it had gone in, might have turned the whole game.
"We have been beaten 3-1 - and we almost contrived to make it four - and I cannot remember Robert Green making a save, so it is a bit disappointing for us.
"We felt we could come here and take something and keep our run going and on the face of it, we probably should have done.
"But you cannot defend like we did, certainly for the first two goals."