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By Russell Barder
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 Martins hit the post before scoring Newcastle's second
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Newcastle made Portsmouth pay for missed opportunities as they ended a five-game winless run with victory.
Jermain Defoe could easily have netted a hat-trick, but he and Peter Crouch wasted several good chances for Pompey.
Obafemi Martins hit the post in the first half, before Michael Owen put Newcastle in front after the break with a superb chipped finish.
Martins coolly slotted in the second before Danny Guthrie turned in Shola Ameobi's cross to seal the win.
Newcastle's impressive performance belied their lowly Premier League position, but it could have so easily gone in Portsmouth's favour if they had not been so wasteful in front of goal.
The home side enjoyed the better start as they stroked the ball around confidently, but the visitors were always a threat on the counter-attack.
Owen had the first real chance of the match, but his first-time effort from the Jonas Gutierrez's cross drifted harmlessly wide while at the other end Defoe's attempted lob never looked like troubling Given.
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The game continued to ebb and flow and Habib Beye missed arguably the best chance of the half for Newcastle as he headed Guthrie's well-delivered free-kick wide when unmarked.
Despite the chances neither side could find the breakthrough and not even a moment of individual brilliance from Martins could break the deadlock.
Nicky Butt fed the ball to the Nigerian striker who then unleashed a ferocious curling effort that hit the post with David James well beaten.
Not to be outdone, Defoe tried the spectacular as his attempted first-time volley from Nadir Belhadj's cross flew just over, before Shay Given produced a great reaction save to divert Niko Kranjcar's deflected shot wide.
Portsmouth wanted a penalty from the resulting corner as they claimed Nicky Butt handled in the area and moments later Defoe looked despairingly at the referee as he went down under a challenge from Sebastien Bassong, but again nothing was given.
Newcastle responded as Jose Enrique tested James at his near post with a fierce left-footed drive while Defoe squandered yet another chance, dragging his shot wide.
Neither side took their foot off the gas after the interval and it was Newcastle who finally broke the deadlock.
A terrible cross-field ball from Arnold Mvuemba was intercepted by the ever-impressive Gutierrez who fed Owen.
The England striker appeared to have wasted the chance with a poor first touch but, with Sylvain Distin and James diving at his feet, he lifted the ball brilliantly into the back of the net.
Mvuemba was withdrawn shortly afterwards while Portsmouth almost scored an immediate reprieve as Noe Pamarot headed over.
Defoe must have thought it wasn't to be his day as he again missed the target, slicing wide from 15 yards after skipping brilliantly past Jose Enrique.
Newcastle continued to frustrate Portsmouth who were now running out of ideas and it was the visitors who went on to score again as Jose Enrique played in Martins who waited for James to commit himself before coolly slotting the ball home.
There was still time for Guthrie to put the gloss on an impressive Magpies performance as he converted Shola Ameobi's pull-back in the final minute.
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Newcastle's Michael Owen on 7.30 (on 90 minutes).
Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.
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