The Hammers went into the game at St. James Park having gone a staggering 14 hours and 48 minutes without an away goal - a run stretching back nine games.
In fact, West Ham are still without an away success this season, yet they doubled their away tally to four goals having previously managed just two, both netted by Bobby Zamora who sat out this game through suspension.
West Ham handed a debut to the outstanding Calum Davenport, their midweek signing from Spurs, while Newcastle had skipper Scott Parker and Stephen Carr back to boost their side following their 5-1 midweek FA Cup mauling by Birmingham.
Following almost non-stop West Ham pressure, the Hammers were deservedly 2-0 up after 22 minutes - Carlton Cole breaking their away duck after a staggering 905 minutes.
Indeed, the match should have been done and dusted before half-time, but Newcastle - who lost both Peter Ramage and Shay Given through injury - produced a grandstand performance that left West Ham holding on.
West Ham are becoming a nightmare opponent for Given who suffered a serious injury earlier in the season when rupturing a bowel in a clash with Marlon Harewood.
The opener on 17 minutes came when Nigel Reo Coker's right-wing corner was headed back across goal by Davenport and Cole rammed it into the net from close range.
Then Ramage was far too easily brushed aside when Harewood latched on to a George McCartney through ball and toe-poked his effort beyond Given.
Outplayed and outclassed, Newcastle were thrown a lifeline in first-half injury-time when James Milner drilled in from the right for his third goal of the season and second in four days.
West Ham were furious as Parker was clearly offside and in the resulting arguments Roy Carroll and Anton Ferdinand were both cautioned.
It got worse for the Hammers after 53 minutes as they buckled again under intense Newcastle pressure, but needlessly so.
Recent signing Luis Boa Morte was the villain of the peace when he foolishly handled a Milner free-kick right under the nose of referee Uriah Rennie.
With Obafemi Martins missing United's last penalty at Everton, the responsibilities switched to Nol Solano, who coolly sent Carroll the wrong way.
After this it was all Newcastle as Carroll pulled off some excellent saves, including two from Martins.
But even the former Manchester United man could only watch flat-footed after 72 minutes as a flowing move ended with Kieron Dyer kneeing the ball against the post.