The 27-year-old England international struck 12 minutes after the break, finding the net in a competitive game for his club for the first time since December 17, 2005.

It was just Owen’s 14th start and 17th appearance in total for Newcastle and came two days before he celebrates two, injury-wrecked years on Tyneside.

If Owen and his manager Sam Allardyce were delighted, both by the goal and the passage it helped to secure to the Carling Cup third round, it will have been no less welcome to England boss Steve McClaren, whose dearth of strikers ahead of vital Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia makes the form of his most experienced hitman a cause for national concern.

The £17million man departed to warm applause seven minutes from time when he was replaced by Obafemi Martins, who wrapped up the victory three minutes later with a smart volley.

The win, hard-fought as it was, was Newcastle’s first of the season at St James’ Park and preserved their unbeaten start to the campaign.

It was certainly far from comfortable for long periods and Allardyce knows there is much work to be done if his fringe players are to force their way into his strongest line-up.

Opposite number Simon Davey and his men were able to leave the north-east with their heads held high having more than made a game of it.

Allardyce, who had Bolton defender Abdoulaye Faye, as well as owner Mike Ashley, sitting in the stands as he closed in on Marseille defender Habib Beye, attempted to use the full extent of his squad for a game he wanted to win with the minimum of fuss.

But having made seven changes to the team which fought out a 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at Middlesbrough on Sunday, he saw his men labour again modest Coca-Cola Championship opposition.

Claudio Cacapa and Jose Enrique started for the first time at the back and despite seeing the visitors enjoy plenty of possession, they and their defensive colleagues were rarely under extreme pressure before the break.

Keeper Shay Given had only one save of any significance to make on his return from injury, but it was a vital one as Dominik Werling’s blistering 38th-minute free-kick sped towards his goal.

But Allardyce will have been concerned with the lack of cutting edge his side displayed further up the field with Owen starting his first game of the season alongside Shola Ameobi.

In truth, apart from the invention of Charles N’Zogbia, restored to his more accustomed midfield role to accommodate Enrique, few of his attacking players showed any real sign of breaking down Barnsley.

Even when the Magpies did create a half-chance, they were not clinical enough to leave the Yorkshiremen delighted with their efforts at the break.

Owen did get in on 15 minutes from N’Zogbia’s pass, but although he just about escaped the attentions of Werling, he was under pressure when he shot and directed his effort straight at keeper Heinz Muller.

Nolberto Solano and N’Zogbia both saw long-range efforts deflected wide and the Frenchman forced a good save from Muller three minutes before the break.

Owen and Ameobi both had shouts for penalties in the dying seconds of the half, but their appeals were more in hope than expectation.

Allardyce’s half-time comments appeared to evoke a response from his players, who increased their tempo on their return, and he made his first change within seven minutes when he replaced Emre with Nicky Butt to add steel in central midfield.

Geremi forced a smart save from Muller with a curling 56th-minute shot, but it was Owen who finally broke the deadlock a minute later.

Ameobi picked out his trademark run with the perfect pass and the England international stabbed home just his second goal at St James’ to the delight of his manager and the home crowd.

N’Zogbia saw another piledriver blocked as the Magpies looked to kill the game off, but they were served with a timely reminder that the game was far from over when Rob Kozluk’s speculative cross came back off the post three minutes later.

Butt and Ameobi both threatened Muller’s goal as Newcastle looked to cement the victory with gaps starting to appear at regular intervals.

But Owen’s exit set the stage for Martins to claim his third goal of the season and finally end Barnsley’s hopes of a late fightback.