SAINTS gave up a lead to lose for the third time in five Premier League matches as Newcastle United condemned Ivan Juric's side to a 3-1 defeat.

Jan Bednarek - the club's joint top-scorer in the league with two - headed in 10 minutes into the game but a quickfire Alexander Isak brace flipped the script.

Sandro Tonali added the third in the second half and Mateus Fernandes saw a late goal to restore hope ruled out by VAR for offside.

Saints fans made their thoughts on the refereeing technology known with debates about a spot-kick awarded to Isak in the first period raging on.

But the result stood and means Saints have been beaten in six successive league home matches for the first time in their professional history.

Juric made four changes with Aaron Ramsdale and Kamaldeen Sulemana ruled out through injury, with Alex McCarthy and Paul Onuachu as their replacement.

Yuki Sugawara and Flynn Downes also lost their starting places to Ryan Manning and Lesley Ugochukwu following the dreadful start at Nottingham Forest.

Eddie Howe's Magpies - battered 4-1 by AFC Bournemouth last time out - saw their flight down delayed by Storm Eowyn but did arrive safely on Friday evening.

And a farmer's protest outside St Mary's Stadium had already been and gone by the time the Newcastle coach arrived two hours before kick-off.

Their plans were disrupted by Saints 10 minutes into the match when an unmarked Bednarek climbed to head the hosts 1-0 up in front of the Chapel.

The Polish international grabbed his second in two games after Kyle Walker-Peters laid off for James Bree to swing a perfect cross with Bednarek and Paul Onuachu waiting.

Geordie-born Adam Armstrong then had two shots from a similar position outside the area after beating a man but neither was a danger to Newcastle.

Howe's side were presented the chance to level from the spot in the 26th minute after a lengthy VAR check determined Joe Aribo fouled the set-to-shoot Isak.

The Nigerian international went to ground in the box and was an extra-long stud away from a clean challenge, hooking Isak's leg as he swung for the ball.

Isak rolled the spot-kick into the bottom left and then struck again four minutes later for his 12th and 13th goals in 10 Premier League games.

The Swede took one touch to control Jacob Murphy's pass and burst past Bednarek, where he could easily slot past the onrushing McCarthy.

McCarthy denied Isak the hat-trick 180 seconds later while Newcastle's Martin Dubravka saved a Taylor Harwood-Bellis overhead kick after the break.

But nobody was to deny Tonali their third, racing through with no defenders near him after a one-touch play between him, Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Newcastle did not relent and appealed strongly for a Bednarek pull on Lewis Hall's shirt in the box before Murphy thumped the woodwork from range.

The game looked set to fizzle out when a McCarthy long ball breathed new life into it, as Fernandes raced onto the pass after a defensive mix-up.

He converted past Dubravka with at least six minutes added time to push for a leveller but VAR - correctly - ruled the Portuguese offside.

That finished any hopes of a shock comeback and meant Saints have won just one of their last 36 Premier League games across their last two seasons.

Saints: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Bree (Fraser, 88), Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Manning (Sugawara, 60); Ugochukwu (Smallbone, 79), Aribo (Lallana, 88); Fernandes, Armstrong (Armstrong, 60); Onuachu.

Unused subs: Lumley, Downes, Wood, Bella-Kotchap.

Booked: Fernandes.

Newcastle: Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes (Miley, 79), Joelinton; Murphy, Gordon, Isak (Willock, 79)

Unused subs: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff.

Referee: Sam Barrott.

VAR: Chris Kavanagh.