Newcastle claimed a seventh straight win in the Championship by defeating Cardiff City 2-1 at St James' Park.
Christian Atsu opened the scoring in the third minute and Yoan Gouffran added a second seconds before half-time.
Cardiff's Peter Whittingham pulled one back from outside the area in the 77th minute to give the visitors a chance but Newcastle had done enough.
The latest success, equalling the club's run during the 2009-10 promotion season, lifted Rafael Benitez's side six points clear at the top of the table, even though Cardiff pushed them all the way.