Newcastle 2 Sunderland 0: Roy Keane's Sunderland were comfortably beaten in the latest instalment of the Tyne-Wear derby thanks to a first half brace by England striker Michael Owen.

Owen headed the opener after just four minutes and then added his second from the spot minutes before half time to seal the points.

The win maintained Keegan's 100 per cent against the Black Cats, which now stretches to five games, on a day when his mission to keep the club in the Barclays Premier League was successfully completed.

By contrast, Roy Keane's side face a tense conclusion to the season with just five points separating them from the relegation zone with three games remaining.

Newcastle's greater quality in the final third ultimately won the day and extended their unbeaten run to six games in front of a largely delighted crowd of 52,305.

They were never in any danger of losing the game from the moment Owen's header flew into the net, and although the visitors rallied after the break, Newcastle might have won more comfortably.