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Cardiff - Loic Remy celebrated his France recall with a brace as Newcastle United secured a first win in three Premier League games 2-1 at Cardiff City on Saturday.
The Frenchman scored twice in the space of eight first-half minutes, taking his tally to five goals in three games, and Newcastle held on for victory despite Peter Odemwingie scoring his first league goal for Cardiff in reply.
Newcastle leap six places in the table to 10th place, while Malky Mackay's Cardiff slip one place to 12th.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew drafted Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse and Mike Williamson into his starting line-up, while Cardiff kept faith with the team that won 2-1 at Fulham in their previous outing.
Beaten 3-2 in both of their last two outings, by Hull City and Everton, Newcastle were bidding to avoid a third straight defeat and they quickly took control of the game at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul survived an early scare when he was beaten to the ball by Fraizer Campbell after racing from his line, but the Cardiff striker could not capitalise and from then on, the visitors dominated the first half.
Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall had to produce a finger-tip save to deny Moussa Sissoko and then made a brilliant stop to repel Remy, who has been included in Didier Deschamps's squad for France's forthcoming games against Australia and Finland.
The on-loan Queens Park Rangers player would not be denied, however, and in the 30th minute he broke the deadlock with an excellent goal, drifting in from the left flank and arrowing a low drive into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards.
Marshall saved from Cabaye before Remy added a second in the 38th minute, steering the ball into the net from the edge of the area after Marshall pushed out a shot from Cisse.
It could have been 3-0 shortly before half-time, when Cabaye tried to catch Marshall out by shooting from a free-kick wide on the right, but his effort came back off the post.
Cardiff hit back in the 58th minute through Odemwingie, who finished coolly from 12 yards after being picked out by Jordon Mutch, scorer of a stunning injury-time winner at Fulham last weekend.
Mutch threatened to produce another telling late intervention with seven minutes to play, but his shot was repelled by Krul.
