For half an hour it was arduous for Aston Villa, the absence of Jack Grealish painfully apparent.
It looked like their false start to the campaign would extend into a second weekend after an opening defeat at Watford, so poor did they begin here.
But, in the form of home debutant Danny Ings, it may just be that Villa have found the man to remedy to the loss of their talisman.
Dean Smith’s side did not deserve to lead at half-time, but they did so because of an improvised moment of brilliance from their new £20million striker.
It was in the third minute of injury-time that Villa loaded a throw into Newcastle’s penalty area, where Tyrone Mings climbed higher than Jamaal Lascelles.
Ings, anticipating the flick, had spun into space and used that freedom to execute an audacious overhead-kick for his second goal of the season. This time, however, it was far more important than his 97th-minute consolation at Watford.
It set Villa on course for what proved a worthy victory, completed by Anwar El Ghazi’s penalty. The win felt like a formality come the end, not that the home fans would have thought so after a torrid opening.
At roughly the same time as Grealish was scoring his first goal for Manchester City, Villa’s Matty Cash - slicked-back hair, alice band and bulging calves - was blazing over the crossbar after a rare attack. Lookalikes apart, this team was unrecognisable from that containing their former favourite during the first 30 minutes.
The visiting fans were quick to seize on Cash’s likeness with a barbed rendition of, ‘You’re just a s*** Jack Grealish’.
In fact, at every turn around Villa Park there were young men - and some old enough to know better - sporting the Grealish combo of shaved sides and floppy top. The ghost of Grealish, then, was very much apparent, and the manner in which their side began would have had a haunting feel for supporters.
Maybe it was the pressure of playing in front of fans more than the removal of the midfielder, but something spooked Villa as they struggled to pass, cross and shoot.
Newcastle should have taken advantage, most notably when Callum Wilson outmuscled Mings and ran through on goal only to clip wide. Mings was strong in his appeal for a free-kick, less strong when it was needed in the tackle.
Villa did have the odd moment in attack - Cash’s shot and Ings dinking wide from a narrow angle - but they were way off the pace.
Then the half hour arrived and Newcastle either decided to conserve energy or, more likely, ran out of it. It was the encouragement Villa needed and they finished the half in control, a period which culminated in Ings’ wonderful goal.
They had their second on 62 minutes after a VAR intervention rightly penalised Lascelles for a handball when he blocked Mings’ close-range effort, El-Ghazi converting as he sent Freddie Woodman the wrong way.
Newcastle thought they had a penalty of their own in the 76th minute when Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez cleaned out Wilson. Again, though, VAR was kind to the hosts, ruling Wilson offside before he was played in on goal.
But Steve Bruce’s side did not deserve a route back into the game after they ran out of ideas and energy as early as the first half, and their losing start to the season continues.
Villa, though, look like they’re onto a winner with Ings.
