NEWCASTLE staged a stunning second half comeback to kick start their season with victory against arch rivals Sunderland at Roker Park last night.

Kevin Keegan's men trailed 1-0 to Martin Scott's first half penalty, but came out fighting after the break and goals from Peter Beardsley and Les Ferdinand turned defeat into victory.

Newcastle's win in the 117th Wear Tyne derby took them above Sunderland in the Premiership table and provided the perfect answer to the critics who had claimed Keegan's players were paralysed by self doubt.

Sunderland had made the more impressive start to the season and when Scott fired them ahead from the spot Newcastle faced a searching test of character. But they passed it to inflict a first defeat of the season on Sunderland in what was the final league meeting between the sides at Roker Park before Sunderland's move to a new stadium at Wearmouth.

Beardsley sparked the revival by heading an equaliser on 52 minutes and Ferdinand completed the comeback when he headed home David Ginola's corner on 63 minutes.

Keegan had sent his side into the red heat of a derby battle urging them to supplement their undoubted talent with a willingness to scrap and battle.

But Newcastle's players had little or no support in the Roker Park crowd, Newcastle having turned down a last ditch offer of 1,000 seats for their fans.

Pre match predictions that Keegan was about to abandon his 4 4 2 system in favour of a 5 3 2 formation proved unfounded.

Instead he made two changes from the side which had lost at home to Sheffield Wednesday, with Philippe Albert making way for Darren Peacock and Beardsley replacing Faustino Asprilla.

Asprilla had scored a hat trick for Colombia against Chile on Sunday but Keegan opted to rest him, and he started on the substitute's bench along with Albert.

Newcastle answered Keegan's call for more fighting spirit in a frantic opening spell, but Sunderland pressure gradually mounted and they took the lead with a 20th minute penalty.

Robbie Elliott, tripped Steve Agnew near the right edge of the area and referee Jeff Winter had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Scott stepped up to bury his penalty kick in the bottom left corner.

Newcastle looked suitably shell shocked and it needed a stunning reflex save from Pavel Srnicek to keep out Paul Stewart's overhead kick as Sunderland went for the kill.

Newcastle briefly forced their way into, the game and, Scott made a vital challenge inside his area when Alan Shearer looked to latch onto Peter Beardsley's neat pass.

But Sunderland ended the half on the attack and Srnicek had to move smartly to parry Martin Gray's snapshot.

Newcastle came out bristling with determination for the second halt and set about putting Sunderland under some concerted pressure.

The home side found themselves back pedalling for the first time and Newcastle changed the course of the game with two goals in an 11 minute spell.

Beardsley provided an equaliser on 52 minutes, meeting Ferdinand's cross with a downward header which beat Tony Coton's despairing dive and nestled in the bottom left corner.

Newcastle's confidence was suddenly soaring and on 63 minutes Ferdinand fired them ahead. Ginola's outswinging corner was flighted, to the far post and Ferdinand climbed highest to power a header past Coton.

Sunderland battled to the end, but the closest they came to salvaging a point was Stewart's near post, glancing, header from Dariusz, Kubicki's right wing cross eight minutes from time which was a yard too high.