SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1
SUNDERLAND: Mignolet, Bardsley, Brown, Ferdinand, Richardson (Ji 71), Larsson (Wickham 81), Cattermole, Colback, Elmohamady (Gardner 71), Sessegnon, Gyan.
Subs Not Used: Westwood, Vaughan, Bramble, Laing.
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux.
Att: 47, 751
It will take a long long time before the Mackems get over the 5-1, and I expected Steve Bruce to have his side geared up for this one, considering his players failed to show up at St James' Park last season.
He talked a good fight, this week, saying finishing ahead of Newcastle was a major piority. Well we are one week into the campaign and it's not going too well for old 'Broken Nose', is it?
Ryan Taylor must have had a strange week, what with Alan Pardew saying last Monday: "Ryan played well against Arsenal but I hope he is NOT in the team on Saturday".
I take it he expected to sign a left-back before the visit to Mackemland, but it didn't happen, and Ryan was given his first ever Tyne/Wear derby appearance.
The full-back, who played for Steve Bruce at Wigan, curled home a superb 62nd-minute free-kick to win a hard-fought contest which the home side dominated for long periods in the first half, but failed to take their chances.
However, Alan Pardew's men would have won more comfortably had they been awarded a clear first-half penalty.
Black Cats keeper Simon Mignolet had to make good saves from Yohan Cabaye and Jonas Gutierrez, while Tim Krul had to be similarly alert to keep out two Stephane Sessegnon efforts.
However, the home side simply did not make the most of their share of the possession and the bulk of a sell-out crowd of 47,751 left in tears, leaving the Geordies to celebrate a victory on enemy soil.
Sunderland have now won just once at home against their neighbours in 31 years.
Joey Barton found himself in the thick of the action once again within 14 minutes of a pulsating derby, although innocently so on this occasion.
Having weathered an early storm which saw them pinned deep inside their own half for long periods, the Magpies won a left-wing corner which Cabaye delivered to the far post.
Shola Ameobi, who went into the game with six derby goals to his name, met the ball with a firm header which Barton helped on towards the top corner.
But as he prepared to celebrate, Sebastian Larsson threw out an arm and blocked the ball, sparking a mass protest from the men in black and white.
Referee Howard Webb consulted his assistant, but then awarded only a corner, much to the horror of the visitors and the relief of their counterparts in red and white.
Having enjoyed a major slice of fortune - Larsson would surely have been sent off had the penalty been awarded - the Black Cats resumed their efforts to atone for their derby no-shows last season.
Benin international Sessegnon was proving a thorn in Newcastle's side and having failed to hit the target on a couple of occasions, forced a fingertip save from Krul with nine minutes gone and a second diving stop eight minutes before the break.
Newcastle continued to look dangerous from set-pieces and Mignolet had to pull off a fine 32nd-minute save to keep out Cabaye's swerving, dipping shot from distance.
Cabaye, Wes Brown and Ryan Taylor were all booked for rash challenges in a fiercely-contested first half, but there was drama deep into injury time when Gyan turned neatly and curled a left-foot shot on to the top of the crossbar.
In a nondescript start to the second half, neither side was able to build up any kind of momentum with Sunderland hunting down the Magpies in possession and the visitors largely adopting a hit and hope policy as they attempted to move the ball forward.
Barton worked his way into a good position with 55 minutes gone, but saw his shot charged down by Anton Ferdinand, and Mignolet had to get down well to palm away Jonas Gutierrez's effort six minutes later.
But Newcastle did take the lead within seconds after Gutierrez had been tripped by Lee Cattermole.
Ryan Taylor curled the resulting free-kick high over the stranded Mignolet and into the top corner to spark delirious celebrations on and off the pitch.
Bruce introduced Craig Gardner and Ji Dong-won for Elmohamady and Kieran Richardson with 19 minutes remaining and time fast running out.
But Sunderland's efforts were looking increasingly laboured with Gyan scuffing a 77th-minute shot wide from close range and Gardner looping a header into Krul's arms three minutes later.
Phil Bardsley was sent off for a second bookable offence in the final minute of normal time to cap a miserable afternoon for the Mackems.
PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (R Taylor)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux.
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 0
Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Simpson, Barton, Cabaye (Lovenkrands 81), Tiote, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi (Best 73), Ba (Obertan 46).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Williamson, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi.
PRE-SEASON FIXTURES:
NEWCASTLE 0 FIORENTINA 0
(Ab 63 mins)
Krul (Forster 46), Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gosling (Ba 46), Cabaye, Vuckic, Jonas (Marveaux 46) Lovenkrands (R Taylor 61), Best (Shola Ameobi 46).Subs: Sammy Ameobi, Ranger, Tavernier, Williamson.
LEEDS UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (S.Taylor, Vuckic)
Forster, Cabaye, Williamson, Barton, Simpson, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Taylor, Tavernier. Subs: Krul, Taylor, Best, Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett.
COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)
Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.
ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper.
SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46).
DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)
Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.