A John Carew hat-trick helped Aston Villa move up to fifth in the table as they came from a goal down to beat Newcastle 4-1 at Villa Park.

The visitors had got off to a flying start when Michael Owen headed them in front after just five minutes, but two Villa goals in three minutes from Wilfried Bouma and then John Carew just after the re-start turned the game on its head.

The Big Norwegian striker then clinched the game with a third 18 minutes from time before completing his first hat-trick in seven years from the spot in the last minute.

Newcastle remain winless since Kevin Keegan returned, despite Owen giving them the perfect start to this game.

Fresh from his England snub, the diminutive striker nipped in at the near post to head home a great cross from the right by James Milner, with Gareth Barry inadvertently helping it on its way in.

However, the Magpies never looked secure, even if in the first-half at least, Villa struggled to create chances despite dominating possession.

It was a different story after the re-start though as the half-time introductions of Marlon Harewood and Chris Gardner gave Villa new found attacking impetus.

Within three minutes they were level as Bouma scored his first goal for Villa by wrong footing Shay Given with a low drive from 25 yards out.

The Irish goalkeeper really should have saved that effort and also injured his groin in trying to reposition himself for the shot.

Given would have to go off to be replaced by Steve Harper but not before Carew had headed Villa into the lead straight from an Ashley Young corner.

That goal completed killed off Newcastle's challenge, with the Magpies never looking like equalising, and some calamitous defending in the 72nd minute saw the ball bounce up for Carew to head home his second from six yards out.

Villa were then happy to play out the rest of the match by passing the ball around, but were provided with the bonus of a fourth, when Carew smashed home his hat-trick from the spot after a handball in the box from Stephen Carr.

Seán Fay / Eurosport