Blackburn Rovers came away with all three points after beating Newcastle United on Saturday.
After a poor first-half display which saw Rovers take a 2-0 lead through Christopher Samba and Roque Santa Cruz, the Magpies staged a fightback.
Captain Michael Owen converted a 48th-minute penalty for his fourth goal in six matches after he had been tripped by Ryan Nelsen, and the home side made a genuine attempt to repair the remaining damage but their efforts were to no avail.
But a crowd of 44,935 - around 7,000 down on capacity - left at least able to take some comfort from a committed end to what at one point looked like another black afternoon on Tyneside.
But with Carlos Villanueva orchestrating from the middle of the park for Rovers and Santa Cruz too hot to handle, the omens were not good.
equally comprehensive
The visitors would have been ahead with just nine minutes gone had Shay Given not kept out Matt Derbyshire's shot after he had escaped from emergency right-back Steven Taylor.
But the opening goal arrived with 31 minutes gone when Samba ran on to Villanueva's free-kick unchallenged to head firmly past the Irishman.
Newcastle, however, did not learn their lesson, and when Brett Emerton curled a similarly inviting cross into the box 10 minutes later, Santa Cruz supplied an equally comprehensive finish to put his side in complete control.
The Magpies were appealing in vain for a 48th-minute penalty after Martin Olsson appeared to handle Damien Duff's cross under pressure from Geremi.
towards goal
Referee Steve Tanner was unmoved on that occasion, but he did point to the spot a minute later after Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen had clipped Owen's heels.
The England international picked himself up to dispatch the penalty past keeper Jason Brown and remarkably, his side might have been level within three minutes had Geremi volleyed Duff's cross towards goal rather than miscontrolling it.
Geremi tested Brown with a well-struck 25-yard effort as Newcastle finally started to believe, although Rovers gradually began to work their way back into the match and themselves had appeals for a penalty waved away for Claudio Cacapa's 61st-minute challenge on Santa Cruz.
Newcastle were growing in confidence as the match wore on, but clear-cut chances were few and far between and Brown had no real scares as time ran down.
