A late Andy O'Brien own goal handed Tottenham the spoils but Newcastle felt they were denied a first-half penalty. Aaron Hughes went down in the box but the referee rejected the appeals.
The lively Robbie Keane was at the heart of most of the home side's chances, with Ledley King and Frederic Kanoute going close after his efforts.
Alan Shearer headed wide before O'Brien turned a Stephane Dalmat cross into his own net to thwart Newcastle's bid to move back into the top four.
Tottenham picked an attacking team, with Kanoute named in the starting line-up along with Keane and Jermain Defoe.
Newcastle's Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer came in for Titus Bramble and the injured Kieron Dyer, while Shearer made his 300th start for the club.
Shay Given was called into the action in the second minute after Olivier Bernard fouled Stephen Carr.
Christian Ziege took the resulting free-kick but his left-footed effort was saved by the Magpies keeper.
 | KEY MOMENTS 2 mins: Given saves a Ziege free-kick 27 mins: Newcastle penalty appeal turned down 62 mins: Shearer headed wide 84 mins: O'Brien turned the ball into his own net |
Keane looked comfortable in a roving role and he set up King in the ninth minute but the latter's low drive was wide of the target.
And at the other end, Spurs keeper Kasey Keller turned away a 30-yard drive from Bernard in the 26th minute.
A minute later, the visitors felt they were denied a penalty when Hughes burst into the box and went down under a challenge by Mauricio Taricco but referee Howard Webb ignored their appeals.
Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson appeared to wait in the tunnel to make his feelings known to the official at half-time.
Craig Bellamy and Shearer also looked to be fuming over the decision.
Kanoute conceded a free-kick within a minute of the restart but the home defence coped well with Laurent Robert's effort.
Keane then did well to send over a cross to Kanoute but the ball just eluded the Tottenham star.
Shearer headed wide when he looked to have time and space to weigh up his options, while Woodgate thwarted Tottenham when he hooked the ball off the line from a corner.
In the 70th minute, Jamie Redknapp replaced Kanoute for his first run-out in the team since suffering a knee injury in September.
O'Brien gave the home side the points when he sent a right-footed effort into his own net.
Dalmat beat Woodgate to the ball on the right flank and whipped in a low cross and O'Brien made the decisive touch.
Tottenham: Keller, Carr, Taricco, Doherty, Gardner, King, Brown, Keane, Ziege (Dalmat 80), Kanoute (Redknapp 70), Defoe.
Subs not used: Hirschfeld, Postiga, Kelly.
Newcastle: Given, O'Brien, Hughes (Ameobi 89), Woodgate, Bernard, Jenas, Speed, Bowyer (Ambrose 75), Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.
Subs not used: Elliott, Harper, Viana.
Attendance: 36,083.
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).
MMIX
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I can't believe we started with three strikers and kept a clean sheet. 
