The opening minutes produced little in the way of goalmouth action, with Obafemi Martins firing one chance wide, before his weak right-foot shot from 20 yards was collected by Pieter Merlier 14 minutes in.
Ten minutes later Damien Duff sliced a left-foot effort wide when well-placed 15 yards out and soon after Martins prodded the ball past the post after a fine run by Kieron Dyer.
Just before the half-hour mark, James Milner fired a left-foot shot over from 30 yards and within a matter of seconds Merlier was smartly off his line to block Dyer's surge into the area.
The Magpies continued to dominate possession, with the home side making little headway in attack, although Tim Matthys almost fashioned an opening six minutes before the interval.
Right on half-time Nolberto Solano's deep ball in from the right reached Martins, but his close-range effort was deflected wide off the foot of keeper Merlier.
Just two minutes into the second period Newcastle were ahead, as Solano's pass set Dyer clear in the inside right channel and his cross was turned into his own net by Frederic Dindeleux.
Martins missed the target with a couple of efforts before the Magpies doubled their lead on the hour.
Duff weaved past two defenders and went down under the challenge of Merlier, with Martins coolly slotting the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle.
However, the home side were back in the game with just over 20 minutes to play as Loris Reina's free-kick from the right was met at the near post by Karel D'Haene, who glanced his header just inside the far post.
D'Haene then forced Steve Harper to tip over a long-range effort, before Newcastle restored their two-goal cushion 14 minutes from time.
Martins was dispossessed on the edge of the area, leaving Antoine Sibierski to pick up the loose ball, beat his marker and calmly sidestep Merlier before rolling the ball into the empty net.