With both sides mired at the bottom of the table this was a proper relegation 'six-pointer' and it was the home side who were able to ease their worries.
Newcastle made the perfect start after Jonjo Shelvey found Kenedy inside two minutes to score. The Brazilian chested his lofted pass and rolled Cedric before side-footing an effort past McCarthy in goal.
Southampton dominated possession but were unable to create any clear cut chances, and Newcastle doubled their lead on the half hour mark. A 'Saints' corner was cleared and Ayoze Perez broke. He fed Dwight Gayle who squared first time for Kenedy to tap into an empty net.
Having given up a two goal lead two weeks ago against Bournemouth, Newcastle fans would be forgiven for still being nervous, but there was no need. Matt Ritchie completed the win on the hour mark with a low curling effort inside a rocking St James' Park.
The win sees Newcastle move into 13th, five points above the drop, while Southampton hang precariously in 17th. It is a great showcase of Rafael Benitez's managerial ability as he continues to get results from his cheaply assembled squad. Southampton fans must be wondering why Benitez's former player and assistant isn't able to do the same on the south coast.
10 March 2018