Aaron Tshibola rescued a point for Aston Villa as Newcastle blew the chance to close in on Norwich in the late game.
The midfielder headed in an 87th minute equaliser for the hosts to secure a 1-1 draw after Tommy Elphick's first-half own goal looked to have won it for the Magpies.
Dwight Gayle and Mo Diame had chances to finish Villa off and the visitors paid the price late on, having been given let-offs when Mile Jedinak had a goal disallowed and Jordan Ayew hit the post.
Norwich went top of the Sky Bet Championship as a 3-1 victory over Burton allowed them to take advantage of Huddersfield's defeat at Reading.
Martin Olsson grabbed only the third league goal of his Canaries career with a close-range finish in the 29th minute to put the home side in front.
A Lucas Akins equaliser at the start of the second half was immediately followed by a Jacob Murphy goal before Ivo Pinto secured a fourth straight league win for Alex Neil's men, despite Robbie Brady missing a penalty after Tom Flanagan was sent off for handball.
They come to St James' Park on Wednesday evening.
Previous leaders Huddersfield slipped to a 1-0 loss Reading at the Madejski Stadium. They faced an uphill battle after Rajiv van La Parra was sent off for dissent in only the 26th minute and the Terriers went behind 15 minutes later to a deflected Roy Beerens strike.
The Royals then survived a second-half rally from the visitors to move up to fourth in the table, just behind Brighton on goal difference after the Seagulls won 2-0 at home to Barnsley thanks to a goal in each half from Glenn Murray.
Birmingham extended their unbeaten away record but had to settle for a 1-1 draw at QPR after Lukas Jutkiewicz's opener was cancelled out before half-time by Steven Caulker's header.
Two of the Championship's in-form strikers were again on target. Tammy Abraham needed only 10 minutes to net his 10th goal of the season for Bristol City before second-half goals from Luke Freeman, Bobby Reid and Aden Flint completed a 4-0 thrashing of Fulham, who had Kevin McDonald sent off.
Chris Wood also scored for a fourth successive game to maintain Leeds' revival with a 1-0 win at home to Ipswich.
Derby's poor start to the season continued as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn. Ben Marshall missed a first-half penalty for Rovers and they looked set to pay the price when Matej Vydra finally netted the Rams' first home league goal of the season.
Their relief was short-lived, though, as two goals in four minutes from Marvin Emnes and former Derby loanee Danny Graham turned the match on its head.
Cardiff also climbed out of the relegation zone as they came from behind to beat fellow strugglers Rotherham 2-1, Rickie Lambert netting a second-half brace after Chelsea loan man Izzy Brown had put the Millers in front.
Sheffield Wednesday beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 with Kieran Lee scoring a stoppage-time winner, the midfielder having earlier cancelled out Henri Lansbury's first-half opener.
Wolves winger Joao Teixeira opened his goal account with a double to help earn a 3-1 win against Brentford at Molineux.
Teixeira, who is on a season-long loan from Benfica, struck twice in 11 minutes at the start of the second half and although Sullay Kaikai gave Brentford hope, substitute Ivan Cavaleiro struck in stoppage time to end their four-match unbeaten run.
WEDNESDAY: NEWCASTLE UTD v NORWICH CITY
Newcastle United Fixtures
Sat 1st October
Rotherham United (A)
Sat 15th October
Brentford (H)
Tue 18th October
Barnsley (A)
Sat 22nd October
Ipswich Town (H)
Tue 25th October
EFLC Preston North End (H)
Sat 29th October
Preston North End (A)
ASTON VILLA 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Elphick og)
Sels, Yedlin (75' Tiote), Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey, Gouffran, Diame, Gayle (80' Mitrovic)
Subs: Hanley, Lazaar, Perez, Darlow, Atsu
LC NEWCASTLE 2 WOLVES 0 (Ritchie, Gouffran)
Darlow, Yedlin, Hanley, Clark, Lazaar, Shelvey, Colback, Ritchie (86' Lascelles), Diame (72' Perez), Gouffran (75' Atsu), Murphy
Subs: Dummett, Hayden, Woodman, Mitrovic
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 WOLVES 2
Sels, Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Hayden (Mitrovic 62) Shelvey, Ritchie (Atsu 63), Diame, Perez, Gayle
Subs not used: Clark, Colback, Gouffran, Yedlin, Darlow
QPR 0 NEWCASTLE 6 (Shelvey 2, Perez, Clark, Mitrovic, Hanley)
Sels, Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett (65' Hanley), Gouffran (61' Atsu), Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie, Perez, Mitrovic (74' Yedlin)
Subs: Colback, Gayle, Diame, Darlow
DERBY CO 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Gouffran, Yedlin)
Sels, Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Colback, Gouffran (73' Yedlin), Diame (88' Hayden), Gayle (76' Perez)
Subs: Clark, Lazaar, Darlow, Mitrovic
NEWCASTLE 2 BRIGHTON 0 (Lascelles, Shelvey)
Sels, Anita (72' Gamez), Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey, Gouffran (88' Yedlin), Diame (81' Colback), Perez
Subs: Clark, Hanley, Darlow, Armstrong
(LC) NEWCASTLE 2 CHELTENHAM 0 (Perez 2)
Darlow, Sterry, Lascelles, Hanley, Gamez, Aarons (24' Gouffran), Shelvey, Colback, Perez, Diame, Mitrovic (38' Gayle)
Subs: Dummett, Hayden, Mbemba, Sels
BRISTOL CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gayle)
Sels, Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie, Hayden (87' Shelvey), Colback, Gouffran, Diame (63' Perez), Gayle (88' Aarons)
Subs: Dummett, Hanley, Darlow, Sterry
NEWCASTLE 4 READING 1 (Hayden, Ritchie (P), Gayle 2)
Sels, Anita, Mbemba, Clark, Dummett, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie (90' Aarons), Perez (76' Lascelles), Gouffran (84' Colback), Gayle
Subs: Hanley, Janmaat, Darlow, Armstrong
NEWCASTLE 1 HUDDERSFIELD 2 (Gayle)
Sels, Janmaat (83' Armstrong), Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Anita, Hayden, Shelvey, Aarons (45' Ritchie), Diame (75' Perez), Gayle
Subs: Clark, Colback, Darlow, Gamez
FULHAM 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Sels; Janmaat, Lascelles, Hanley, Dummett; Hayden (Shelvey 77), Colback (Aarons 61); Ritchie, Perez (Armstrong 70), Anita; Gayle.
Subs Mbemba, Darlow, Jesus Gamez, Sterry.
NEWCASTLE 3 VITESSE ARNHEM 2 (Leerdam (og), Gayle, Colback)
Sels; Janmaat (Sterry, 74), Hanley (Gamez, 62), Lascelles, Dummett; Hayden (Saivet, 74), Colback (Shelvey, 62); Anita (Mitrovic, 74), Perez (Armstrong, 62), Ritchie (Aarons, 62); Gayle (Gouffran, 74). Subs not: Darlow, Tiote, Thauvin.
SOUTHEND UTD 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Anita, Gouffran)
Darlow; Janmaat (Sterry 63), Mbemba (Hanley 63), Lascelles, Dummett; Hayden (Colback 63), Shelvey (Saivet 73); Anita (Thauvin 78), Perez (Mitrovic 73), Aarons (Gouffran 63); Gayle (Armstrong 63).
Sub not used: Sels.
SPORTING LOKEREN 0 NEWCASTLE 4 (Perez 2, Perez, Janmaat, Shelvey)
Sels (Darlow 72); Sterry (Gouffran 63), Mbemba (Saivet 72), Lascelles (Dummett 63), Anita (Gamez 46); Hayden (Shelvey 46), Colback (Tiote 72); Janmaat, Perez (Mitrovic 46), Aarons (Thauvin 63), Gayle (Armstrong 63).
Subs not used: None.
DONCASTER ROVERS 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 2 (Hayden, Perez)
Sels, Janmaat (Sterry, 45), Mbemba (Saivet, 65), Lascelles (Dummett, 45), Colback (Hayden, 45), Anita (Gamez, 45), Ritchie (Gouffran, 45), Aarons (Perez, 45), Shelvey (Wijnaldum, 79), Mitrovic (Gayle, 45), Armstrong (Thauvin, 60).
BOHEMIANS 0 NEWCASTLE 6 (Ritchie, Mitrovic, Gayle, Thauvin, Aarons, Wijnaldum)
Sels, Anita, Lascelles, Mbemba, Sterry, Aarons, Colback, Gouffran, Ritchie, Saivet, Mitrovic.
Subs: Darlow, Gamez, Dummett, Wijnaldum, Shelvey, Hayden, Perez, Gayle, Janmaat, Tiote, Thauvin.