NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Rozehnal, Taylor, N'Zogbia, Smith, Butt, Geremi (Cacapa 90), Martins (Owen 63),Viduka (Ameobi 77), Milner.
St James' Not A Happy Hunting Ground For The Villa Leprechaun!
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Rozehnal, Taylor, N'Zogbia, Smith, Butt, Geremi (Cacapa 90), Martins (Owen 63),Viduka (Ameobi 77), Milner.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Ramage.
ASTON VILLA: Carson, Gardner, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Young, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Agbonlahor, Carew (Moore 66).
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Harewood, Cahill, Maloney.
The stage was set for a storybook start to Sam Allardyce's St James's Park career but in the end Newcastle's mis-firing stars had to thank goalkeeper Steve Harper for saving them a point.
Even the 63rd-minute introduction of Michael Owen failed to galvanise the home side against Martin O'Neill's men who were on top throughout and were unlucky not to claim victory.
Harper saved at point-blank range from Gabriel Agbonlahor in the first half then brilliantly tipped a Nigel Reo-Coker effort around the post on the hour mark.
For all their attacking riches, the home side created few clear-cut chances with their best chance falling to defender David Rozehnal who saw his volley well saved by Scott Carson.
NEWCASTLE UTD 3 ASTON VILLA 1
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Taylor, Bramble, Huntington, Milner, Butt (Sibierski 33), Parker, Duff, Dyer, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, Edgar, O'Brien, Carroll.
ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Bardsley, Mellberg, Cahill,Bouma (Angel 85), McCann, Petrov, Barry, Agbonlahor,Carew (Berger 69), Young.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Davis, Hughes.
Newcastle held off an Aston Villa rally to pick up three Premiership at St James' Park.
Glenn Roeder's men looked to have victory all-but wrapped up inside the opening seven minutes when James Milner, who spent last season on loan at Villa Park, and Kieron Dyer fired them into a 2-0 lead.
But the visitors, who started with a new-look strike force of £8million man Ashley Young and John Carew, pulled a goal back when the former Watford star opened his account on 25 minutes, and the Magpies crumbled.
Had it not been for the brilliance of stand-in goalkeeper Steve Harper and the help of the woodwork, Martin O'Neill's side could not only have been back on terms, but comfortably ahead by the time referee Howard Webb signalled the end of an agonising game for the home fans among a crowd of 49,201.
O'Neill, heavily linked with the vacant job at St James' before Roeder was appointed, headed back to the Midlands scarcely able to believe he was doing so empty-handed after substitute Antoine Sibierski made sure of the win at the end.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 ASTON VILLA 1
NEWCASTLE: Given, Ramage, Boumsong, Bramble, Elliott, Solano (Bowyer 87), Faye, Parker, Shearer, Chopra (Luque 81), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Clark, Brittain.
ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Hughes, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Bouma, Hendrie, McCann, Davis (Bakke 61), Barry, Angel (Moore 62), Baros.
Subs Not Used: Samuel, Taylor, De la Cruz.
Gareth Barry handed beleaguered Newcastle boss Graeme Souness a lifeline when he fired an 87th-minute penalty high over the crossbar.
The Magpies had looked on course for all three points as they entered the final quarter of an hour leading 1-0 through Alan Shearer's first-half penalty, the 198th goal of his career on Tyneside.
However, they crumbled at the death as former Sunderland midfielder Gavin McCann levelled after 75 minutes and then defender Titus Bramble needlessly conceded a spot-kick.
But Barry let both Bramble and Souness off the hook when he shot wildly over and leave the bulk of a crowd of 52,267 not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
NEWCASTLE v ASTON VILLA - PREMIERSHIP HISTORY
2007/2008 Sat 09 Feb Aston Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sat 18 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Aston Villa Premier League
2006/2007 Wed 31 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
Sun 27 Aug Aston Villa 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 11 Feb Aston Villa 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 03 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
2004/2005 Sat 02 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Aston Villa Premiership
Sat 28 Aug Aston Villa 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2003/2004 Sun 18 Apr Aston Villa 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 01 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
2002/2003 Mon 21 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
Sat 07 Dec Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Tue 02 Apr Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 03 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 19 May Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership
Wed 17 Jan Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sun 07 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Aston Villa F.A. Cup
Sat 02 Dec Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1999/2000 Sat 04 Dec Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 07 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
1998/1999 Sat 30 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
Wed 09 Sep Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1997/1998 Sun 01 Feb Aston Villa 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 23 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership
1996/1997 Sat 11 Jan Aston Villa 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 30 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 3 Aston Villa Premiership
1995/1996 Sun 14 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Aston Villa Premiership
Sat 18 Nov Aston Villa 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1994/1995 Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
Sat 01 Oct Aston Villa 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1993/1994 Wed 27 Apr Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Aston Villa Premiership
Sat 02 Oct Aston Villa 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership