Fabio Borini scored from the penalty spot to put the visitors ahead on 19 minutes before Adam Johnson doubled their advantage soon after with a simple finish from close range.

The Black Cats then sealed the points late on as Jack Colback rounded off a quick counter-attack by firing past Tim Krul.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides at St James' Park.

Match statistics

Newcastle
Shots: 28
On target: 10
Possession: 51%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 18

Sunderland
Shots: 16
On target: 5
Possession: 49%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 13

Was the result fair?

Make no mistake, Sunderland fully deserved to come away from St James' Park with the three points. The Black Cats were superior across all areas of the pitch and will be delighted to have beaten their local rivals so emphatically.

Newcastle's performance

The Magpies looked a shadow of the side that showed great promise at the start of the season. They were shaky in defence, while the midfield struggled to compete with Sunderland's energy and confidence. There was also very little in the way of flair from their attacking players as the team failed to pose any real threat up top. It would be easy to say that the absence of Yohan Cabaye made a big difference, but it's the lack of investment in the squad that is more worrying. Expect this result to put a lot of heat on manager Alan Pardew.

Sunderland's performance

Gus Poyet will be affording himself a cheeky smile after getting his tactics spot on in the derby. Sunderland gave themselves a great platform to build on thanks to a rock-solid defensive display. From there, a mix of craft and graft in midfield allowed Fabio Borini and Jozy Altidore to cause the Newcastle back four plenty of problems with their clever movement. In fact, every single player out on the pitch contributed to the win during what was an impressive all-round display. More of the same and the Black Cats are likely to secure their Premier League survival this season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Jack Colback: The young midfielder was a model of enthusiasm for Sunderland, working hard to win the ball for his team and using it well when in possession. A fine afternoon for Colback was rounded off in the final stages when he showed great composure to score the visitors' third goal.

Biggest gaffe

Shola Ameobi had a great chance to get Newcastle back into the match midway through the second half, but the striker somehow flashed his header wide from close range.

Referee performance

On what could have been an explosive afternoon in the North-East, Phil Dowd did very well to let the match flow at an entertaining pace. His biggest decision was to award Sunderland a penalty for their opening goal, and he got that one spot on.

What next?

Newcastle: The Magpies return to action next Saturday when they make the trip to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Sunderland: The Black Cats continue their Premier League campaign next Saturday as Hull City visit the Stadium of Light.