Sunderland started on the front foot in the first PL Tyne-Wear derby since 2015, although they struggled to convert their early dominance into clear-cut chances.
In truth, goalmouth action was at a premium for the majority of the half, where physical duels and strong tackles were much more frequent in a bubbling derby day atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, including a late challenge from Nordi Mukiele that ultimately forced Dan Burn off the pitch with an injury.
Granit Xhaka attempted to give the expectant home faithful a long-range effort to celebrate just before the 30-minute mark, but he failed to find his radar as he blazed the ball harmlessly over the bar, reflecting the quality that was lacking from both sides in the first period.
Régis Le Bris and Eddie Howe had much to think about at the half-time break, and the latter was given much more to concern himself with when Woltemade handed Sunderland the opening goal within a minute of the restart.
The Newcastle striker misjudged his header in an attempt to block Mukiele’s whipped cross, sending the ball beyond the helpless Aaron Ramsdale and crashing in off the underside of the crossbar to the wild delight of the home faithful.
With his team in desperate need of inspiration, Howe summoned Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, and Joe Willock from the bench with just over half an hour left to play.
The Magpies showed signs of improvement following the alterations, with Bruno Guimarães forcing Robin Roefs into action with a couple of long-range drives. At the opposite end of the pitch, Wilson Isidor threatened to seal the deal when his near-post shot required a strong intervention from Ramsdale.
Time ultimately proved that Sunderland did not need a second, as they held their nerve in a fiery end to the game, clinching a memorable win that moves them up to seventh place, four points clear of their 12th-placed rivals.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)