Benitez was in the dugout after being forced to miss the 1-0 win at Swansea a week ago due to complications from hernia surgery.

But he kept a low profile on his return, largely contenting himself with a seat on the bench as assistant Mikel Antia did most of the work in the technical area.

Benitez popped out, though, after both Newcastle goals as rejuvenated Toon made it three straight wins thanks to skipper Jamaal Lascelles – after starting the season with a trio of defeats in the league and cup.

Newcastle took a 19th-minute lead after neither side had come near a sniff of goal.

Matt Ritchie – by his own admission lucky not to be sent off for a Sadio Mane-style high boot on Swansea defender Alfie Mawson – produced something more cultured this time.

The Scotland winger delivered a right-wing cross with his left foot and Christian Atsu raced in at the far post, beating Mame Biram Diouf to power the ball past keeper Jack Butland.

It was the former Chelsea winger’s first Premier League goal and Newcastle would have been out of sight had ex-Stoke striker Joselu not spurned a hat-trick of chances before Xherdan Shaqiri levelled on 57 minutes.

But Lascelles, who headed the winner from a Ritchie corner at Swansea, did the same again on 68 minutes to restore the Geordies’ advantage.

Newcastle came close to a second goal within three minutes of Atsu’s opener and Ritchie was once more the provider with a right-wing corner that Lascelles glanced wide.

But Shaqiri gave the home side a scare moments later with a crafty right-wing curler that keeper Rob Elliot had to claw away at full stretch.

Joselu’s frustrations began on 27 minutes when he beat the offside trap to meet Chancel Mbemba’s cross but steered the ball wide on the stretch with only Butland to beat.

And he then saw an even better chance go begging in a one-on-one with the Stoke keeper who smothered his shot after the ball had ricocheted into Joselu’s path.

The Spaniard rued another missed opportunity inside the first minute of the second half when he took a touch then fired over on the end of Atsu’s pinpoint left-wing centre.

Stoke centre-back Kurt Zouma zoomed a thundering shot wide before Elliot had to parry Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s effort.

But the visitors struck when Shaqiri cleverly threaded the ball through into the far corner from around 25 yards.

Ayoze Perez had the ball in the net for Newcastle but was flagged offside before Elliot brought off a brilliant save from Diouf’s header after Shaqiri had supplied the left-wing ball.

Newcastle were seething in the 65th minute when Perez played the ball in for Atsu who broke through the middle before going down in the box under Zouma’s challenge.

Referee Stuart Attwell was unimpressed with the penalty claims but the Magpies were back in front after Lascelles met Ritchie’s right-wing flag-kick with a header that went in off the bar.

Choupo-Moting should have equalised three minutes from the end, blazing over from sub Peter Crouch’s knockdown, and Diouf headed narrowly wide in stoppage time.