IT has lasted since mid-December, but Newcastle United’s wait for a home success is finally over. Courtesy of a much-improved performance against Wolves, Eddie Howe’s side are back to winning ways at St James’ Park and also back into the Premier League’s top eight.

First-half goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Tino Livramento, proved sufficient to end a four-game sequence without a win on Tyneside.

Isak headed home after Bruno Guimaraes’ shot had been blocked, Gordon tapped home from close range after Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa failed to gather Jacob Murphy’s cross, and Livramento put the icing on the cake with a mazy dribble into the box.

With Gordon and Joe Willock showing plenty of attacking invention, the Magpies repeatedly asked questions of the Wolves defence.

It was at the other end where Newcastle really impressed though, with a much-improved defensive display resulting in a first clean sheet in the league since December’s 3-0 victory over Fulham. Coincidentally, that had also been the last time they won at St James’.

Martin Dubravka made a couple of second-half saves, but with Fabian Schar leading the way at the heart of defence, and both Sven Botman and Dan Burn returning to the kind of levels they were regularly displaying last season, Newcastle’s backline never really looked like being breached. That hadn’t been the case for the last few league games.

As expected, Howe restored Botman to his starting line-up, with the Dutch centre-half having been rested for Tuesday’s FA Cup win at Blackburn. It proved a wise decision.

Wolves created the first opportunity of the afternoon, with Pablo Sarabia firing in a shot that was deflected wide from just outside the area, but with the rain lashing down at St James’, Newcastle opened the scoring with their first real opportunity in the 16th minute.

It came via a counter-attacking move that took the Magpies from one end of the pitch to the other, with Schar setting the break in motion by releasing Gordon, who galloped deep into the Wolves half.

Gordon teed up the overlapping Guimaraes, and while the Brazilian’s shot was blocked by a Craig Dawson, the ball looped towards Isak, who was able to head home from close range.

The Magpies almost doubled their lead three minutes later, but having been teed up by Gordon, Dan Burn dragged a low shot just wide of the right-hand post.

Wolves remained a threat thanks to their slick midfield interplay, but while Mario Lemina headed over after Dawson nodded a corner back towards the back post, Newcastle’s defence was far more resolute than it has been in recent weeks.

As a result, the home side were able to continue asking the more serious questions with their own attacking moves.

Jacob Murphy curled a shot straight at Sa after Guimaraes sent him into space just outside the 18-yard box, but Newcastle successfully doubled their lead shortly after the half-hour mark.

Murphy delivered a low cross into the box from the right-hand side, but while Sa got a decent hand to the ball, he was unable to gather it into his possession. Gordon, who was breaking into the box, was left with the simple task of slotting home.

Sa was replaced at half-time, with Wolves forward Pedro Neto also withdrawn at the interval, and Newcastle were forced into a change of their own seven minutes into the second half when Kieran Trippier hobbled off with what appeared to be a muscular issue. Livramento came on to replace him.

The alteration did not affect Newcastle’s rhythm, and the hosts almost extended their lead just before the hour mark. Willock’s diving header from Burn’s cross looked to be heading in, but Toti did superbly to deflect the ball wide from just in front of the goalline.

Wolves needed something to get them back into the game, and it almost came midway through the second half when substitute Nathan Fraser fired a low angled strike towards goal. Dubravka, who was Newcastle’s penalty hero on Tuesday night, flung himself to his right to claw the ball away.

Dubravka made another important save with 17 minutes left, catching Jeanricner Bellegarde’s header from Nelson Semedo’s cross, but Newcastle continued to attack themselves, and Daniel Bentley prevented Miguel Almiron from scoring after a brilliant floated pass from Guimaraes released the substitute into the box.

The hosts claimed a third goal in stoppage time though, courtesy of a rampaging run from Livramento. Schar’s superb floated pass sent the full-back away down the right, and after dribbling his way into the area, Livramento slotted the ball past Bentley.