DAN BURN lit up St. James’ Park on Fireworks Night to help Newcastle down Athletic Bilbao.
But it was far from a sparkler despite Eddie Howe’s men putting their Premier League problems aside to make it three straight Champions League victories.
Burn got them off to a flyer before Joelinton wrapped up the 2-0 victory over the Spaniards’ to leave Toon with nine points from 12.
Though it was another bad evening for out-of-form Anthony Gordon, without a goal or assist in 19 top-flight matches, as he failed to replicate his previous European heroics.
The England winger had hit the target four times in three Champions League outings this term, but he hobbled off with a hip injury that may also be bad news for Thomas Tuchel.
The build-up to this was dominated by big Burn’s vow that there be no more Mr Nice Guys as he called for his Toon team-mates to rediscover their dark side.
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And the Geordie hero wasted little time in doing that as he replicated his Carabao Cup Final Wembley heroics with an early opener.
Kieran Trippier delivered a free-kick to the far post and the Blyth behemoth was left completely free to run 15 yards onto it and power home a header that curled in off the woodwork.
Frustratingly, that failed to light the touch paper with Toon anything but spark-tacular.
The disappointment for Gordon, hauled off at West Ham on Sunday, began with him giving it away on half way, allowing Bilbao to counter but thankfully Nick Pope’s left leg denied Unai Gomez a leveller.
More hearts were in mouths from the corner when it was only cleared out to Adama Boiro, and the left-back unleashed a piledriver from 20 yards that smashed back off the post.
The woodwork was not the only thing jangling as Toon Army nerves remained on tenterhooks.
Nick Woltemade should have eased them on half hour. But the unmarked 6ft 6in German giant somehow headed wide from six yards when it looked easier to score from Harvey Barnes’ cross.
Ineffective Gordon’s miserable evening came to a premature end when, after holding his hip several times, he came off for Jacob Murphy moments before the break.
And as well as being a doubt for the weekend’s trip to Brentford, it could also have ramifications regarding Tuchel’s Three Lions squad announcement on Friday.
Former Barcelona boss, and two-time LaLiga winner, Ernesto Valverde will have seen enough to believe the below-par Mags were there for the taking at the interval.
While Howe, fearing a repeat of Sunday’s London Stadium debacle and who had spent most of the opening period clapping on the touchline and urging his team to get the ball back, will have no doubt delivered a rocket befitting Bonfire Night.
And it worked wonders. Within seconds of the restart Joelinton did what Woltemade could not and headed home from the six-yard line from Barnes’ delicious cross.
Unai Simon saved from Sven Botman while Burn, believing he was boyhood idol Alan Shearer, blazed wide with another opening as Newcastle finally started to turn the screw.
But Bilbao, who got off the mark in Europe by beating Qarabag last time out after defeats by Arsenal and Dortmund, were not going down without a fight.
Gomez let fly with a fierce 30-yard dipper that forced Pope into a diving stop low to his right.
And the Spanish attacker was denied again by a brave Botman block while Pope stopped from sub Nico Serrano but they just could not find a breakthrough.
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A much-needed victory for Howe and the Mags that leaves them in a strong position ahead of their upcoming trips to Marseille and Leverkusen before Christmas in this competition.
But the big question they really need to answer will come on Sunday at the Gtech Community Stadium at Brentford as they chase a first domestic away win since April’s triumph at Leicester City.
