Newcastle United ended a run of four straight Premier League defeats as they ran out 3-1 winners over Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park.

An error from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen gifted William Osula the chance to break the deadlock, and Newcastle doubled their advantage shortly after, with Dan Burn heading home from a corner.

Jack Hinshelwood pulled a goal back for Brighton after the break, but their European ambitions took a hit after they were punished for their defensive lapses.

And Brighton’s late missed chances eventually proved costly as Harvey Barnes’ stoppage-time goal clinched a vital three points that will somewhat ease the pressure on Eddie Howe’s men.

Newcastle leapfrogged Crystal Palace and Leeds United into 13th place on 45 points, while Brighton dropped to seventh after Brentford’s win over West Ham United.

How the match unfolded

Brighton almost made a dream start inside two minutes as Kaoru Mitoma squared Hinshelwood in on goal, but Nick Pope got down sharply to keep him out.

Carlos Baleba then struck the crossbar from range, but Newcastle took the lead against the run of play in the 12th minute, as a slip by Verbruggen on the right wing allowed Jacob Murphy to cross for Osula, who headed into an empty net.

The Magpies got their second in the 24th minute as Burn peeled off his defender and rose highest to glance in Bruno Guimaraes’ corner.

The deficit was almost halved just minutes later as Pope’s awkward clearance struck Hinshelwood, with the rebound striking the post.

Hinshelwood did pull a goal back in the 61st minute though, rifling an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

Charalampos Kostoulas’ overhead kick forced a smart stop out of Pope, and Yankuba Minteh missed a golden opportunity with less than two minutes of the 90 remaining, as he shot an effort over from yards out.

But as Brighton flooded bodies forward, Newcastle profited, with Barnes thumping home in the fifth minute of stoppage time to make sure of all three points.