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Michael Owen scored as Newcastle secured their first Premier League away win of the season, 3-0 against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

On his 29th birthday, the striker clipped the ball deftly over David James after 52 minutes to break the deadlock and enhance his chances of an England recall as Newcastle climbed out of the relegation zone.

His strike partner Obafemi Martins made the result safe with 13 minutes to go, slotting into an empty net after keeper James dived too early.

Danny Guthrie added insult to injury in the dying minutes with a shot from the edge of the box that somehow eluded James's grasp.

Owen has now scored four times in the last month and must have forced his way into England coach Fabio Capello's thoughts.

He outshone Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe, both of whom have been regulars in Capello's squads with the Italian unconvinced by Owen's form and fitness.

If Owen continues his revival, Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear's greatest concern is where he does so. His contract expires at the end of the season and he has shown no willingness to discuss a new deal - making an exit in the January transfer window the likely outcome.

All three England hopefuls were involved early but failed to convert difficult chances. First Owen flicked the ball wide from a pacy Martins cross, then at the other end Crouch fired over from the edge of the box.

Defoe was involved three times as he sent a towering lob just wide, volleyed over from a tight angle and was denied a penalty by Chris Foy after Sebastien Bassong appeared to impede him.

Nigerian star Martins, the fourth forward on show, provided the most explosive impact with a swerving 30-yard left-foot shot that scudded low past James but thumped back off the right-hand post to a Portsmouth defender.

Newcastle had drawn their previous four games and but Kinnear's side had the better of the early chances.

Pompey dominated possession but the visitors carried menace on the break through Martins, Owen and winger Jonas Gutierrez, who looks increasingly at home in the Premier League.

The game lacked flow but chances continued to come, not only to the strikers but also to less predictable sources: Newcastle's Habib Beye headed just wide from a corner and his defensive colleague Jose Enrique called James into action to beat away a stinging left-foot drive and deny him a first goal for the club.

Defoe and Crouch nearly combined early in the second period after the former collected a terrible Fabrizio Coloccini clearance but looked for his strike partner when a more selfish approach might have been better.

Owen soon made Portsmouth pay as another loose pass led to the opener. Gutierrez intercepted a crossfield Arnold Mvuemba ball and quickly found Owen in space on the left side of the box.

The striker's first touch was heavy but his second was brilliant, lifting the ball deftly over the advancing James into the net.

Defoe was again culpable on 57 minutes when Pompey broke with pace, but the 26-year-old sent his shot inches wide of the right-hand post from 15 yards.

As Portsmouth laboured, Martins put them out of contention after Enrique cut inside from the left. The Spaniard played a neat ball to Martins, whose job was made all the easier by a ludicrously early dive by James.

Tony Adams's misery was complete in the 89th minute when substitute Shola Ameobi pulled the ball back to Guthrie, who shot powerfully but into the hands of James - yet somehow the ball crept through and into the net.

Alex Chick / Eurosport