Newcastle thumped their hosts 5-1 earlier in the season and signalled their intent early on when in-form Joey Barton fed Shola Ameobi with a brilliant long ball forward, but the striker rolled his shot agonisingly wide of Craig Gordon's goal.
The Black Cats responded and Darren Bent fired straight at Steve Harper, and the Magpies goalkeeper was forced into another save when Steed Malbranque volleyed goalwards.
At the other end Kieran Richardson cleared a Fabricio Coloccini effort off the line as the first half ended goalless.
Sunderland were the first side to create an opening after the restart when Bent raced onto a Phil Bardsley pass, but this time the striker chipped the ball over Harper only to see it go wide of the target. And moments later Newcastle went in front.
Barton was the creator sent in a dangerous corner that was headed towards goal by Ameobi, and Kevin Nolan was on hand to direct the ball into the net.
The Black Cats poured forward in search of an equaliser but it did not look like coming when Ahmed Elmohamady’s shot was deflected wide by a team-mate.
But four minutes into time-added-on, with the Magpies set to secure the double, Harper parried a powerful strike from Phil Bardsley and the ball struck Gyan to loop into the Newcastle net.