NO-ONE said it was going to be easy.

Fresh from perhaps their most complete performance of the season in the weekend win over Spurs, Burnley were brought back to earth with a bump at St James’ Park.

Fabian Schar’s thunderbolt and Sean Longstaff’s strike had Newcastle two up at the break as the Magpies ended a subdued Burnley’s unbeaten Premier League run.

The Clarets, missing the energy of the ill Ashley Westwood in midfield, were subdued and sub-par.

They still had chances, Chris Wood was denied by home keeper Martin Dubravka moments after Schar had opened the scoring while James Tarkowski missed a big chance at the end of the first half.

Defeats elsewhere for Cardiff and Brighton mean the damage was limited for Sean Dyche’s side, who remain six points clear of third bottom Southampton who entertain Fulham tonight.

And the past eight weeks, eight unbeaten games and 18 points, have shown the positives of post Boxing Day Burnley should be enough to see them to safety.

But they won’t want too many performances like this one on Tyneside.

After a low-key start with chances few and far between for both sides, Schar smashed Newcastle ahead on 25 minutes. The defender was given space to advance into and he rifled a right footed effort which flew past Tom Heaton via a kiss on the keeper’s left post.

Burnley looked for an immediate response and nearly found one when Wood acrobatically volleyed goalwards from Gudmundsson’s corner but Dubravka palmed away the effort.

Instead it was the home side who struck. Jack Cork was pickpocketed on halfway and, with halfhearted Burnley appeals for a foul, Newcastle swept the ball left to Matt Ritchie who dug out a deep cross which Ben Mee did well to divert away from the lurking Salomon Rondon. But the ball fell to the feet of Longstaff who had too much time and space to fire past Heaton.

The Clarets were in need of half time but they nearly went into the break with the fillip of a goal only for James Tarkowski to volley over from close range.

The centre back had the first Burnley chance of the second half but couldn’t keep his header down while Heaton did well to deny Miguel Almiron with his feet as the Newcastle striker latched onto a long ball over the top.

The Clarets had introduced Robbie Brady for Dwight McNeil at the interval and sent on Peter Crouch and Matej Vydra in the closing stages.

And although the visitors huffed and puffed, there was no real sense they would find a way back.

Dyche’s must now reset and restart against Palace on Saturday.

Newcastle: Martin Dubravka, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejeune, Issac Hayden, Matt Ritchie, Ayoze Perez (Joselu 87), Sean Longstaff (Mohamed Diame 84), Javier Manquillo, Miguel Almiron (Paul Dummett 79), Salomon Rondon

Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Ki, DeAndre Yedlin, Christian Atsu

Burnley: Tom Heaton 6; Phil Bardsley 6, James Tarkowski 5, Ben Mee 6, Charlie Taylor 7; Johann Berg Gudmundsson 6, Jeff Hendrick 5, Jack Cork 5, Dwight McNeil 5 (Robbie Brady HT); Chris Wood 6 (Matej Vydra 82), Ashley Barnes 6 (Peter Crouch 71)

Subs not used: Joe Hart, Stephen Ward, Matt Lowton, Ben Gibson

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 48,323