Newcastle had conceded from the first shot they’d faced in 10 Premier League encounters this season, and that troubling statistic almost became worse as Jack Clarke saw his deflected curling effort sail narrowly evade the back post.
That early chance seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the hosts, who were soon dominating possession and creating plenty of chances.
A rather soft decision let Alex Palmer off the hook when he dropped the ball onto Bruno Guimaraes, who bundled in from close range before being denied by the officials, but the Tractor Boys weren’t so fortunate when they were reduced to 10 men soon after.
Having already been booked for simulation, Ben Johnson was sent off for hauling down Alexander Isak, placing the momentum firmly with the hosts.
Now under immense pressure, Ipswich looked as if they would make it to half-time on level terms, but after Luke Woolfenden cleared Guimaraes’ hooked effort off the line and Sandro Tonali struck the crossbar, their resistance finally broke.
In first-half stoppage time, Julio Enciso was adjudged to have pulled down Jacob Murphy, giving Isak the chance to convert from the spot for a deserved lead.
It took just 11 minutes for Newcastle to add to their lead after the restart, with Dan Burn netting his first Premier League goal of the season after being picked out by Kieran Trippier.
A comeback looked far from likely at this stage, with the Magpies totally in control and making their numerical advantage count.
Murphy was heavily involved throughout the afternoon, and he came close to adding a third when he bent an effort wide, shortly before the hosts capped off the scoring with substitute William Osula heading in Trippier’s corner.
After a disappointing 4-1 defeat to European rivals Aston Villa last week, a fifth straight home league win lifts Eddie Howe’s side back into the top five.
As for Kieran McKenna, relegation from the Premier League is now confirmed, meaning that for a second successive campaign, the three promoted sides will all be heading back to the Championship.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United)