NEWCASTLE moved to within three points of Nottingham Forest after blowing them away in a devastating 12-minute period before half-time.

Eddie Howe's side had lost their previous two league games on Tyneside, casting doubt on their Champions League prospects.

But for almost an hour, this was a throwback to the days in and around the festive period when they scored goals for fun at their St James' Park fortress.

It was just as well they had a three-goal cushion going into the latter stages, with Forest scoring twice to threaten an unlikely comeback.

Forest had taken a sixth minute lead but only succeeded in poking the bear as the Geordies delivered devastating retribution before taking their foot off the gas.

The ground has witnessed some humdingers in recent years but few halves of football can have been quite so dramatic as the opening period here.