"There was also anger among home supporters during the game when a smoke canister was thrown from the seats above them that were occupied by away fans.
"The most serious incident involved a group of Newcastle fans in Central Station attempting to confront Sunderland supporters, but they were intercepted by officers from British Transport Police," said a Northumbria Police spokeswoman.
"During this incident missiles were thrown at the officers, which resulted in three injuries to officers - one of them requiring assessment at hospital."
Police confirmed they received reports of smoke canisters being released before and during the match. Newcastle fans were also involved in a series of sporadic incidents of disorder in the city centre following the match, the spokeswoman added.
The violence is an indication of the volatile nature of this fixture, which always requires a huge police operation to prevent the two sets of supporters from clashing, and hints at the pressure Newcastle's manager, Alan Pardew is now under.
Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio, his trousers ruined by the knee slide celebration of his team's second goal, described it as a "beautiful derby" but this was as ugly as it comes for Newcastle.
"It's not so much about the fans sticking with us, it's about us making sure we put performances on between now and the end of the season that will help us ease the memory of this result.
"It's not going to go away. We will have to wear it and probably next year as well, that's what happens when you lose one of these games. We are under no illusions of the responsibility we have to our fans, we know what this means to them and we have let them down. It's up there with the worst moment I've had here."
None of that mattered to Di Canio whose celebrations on the touchline, and again after the game, were typically dramatic. By the time he spoke to the media, though, the former Swindon Town manager had found a sense of perspective.
"This result doesn't decide the rest of the season," he said. "The adrenaline was pumping on the field, but now we have to think and get our feet back on the ground. It feels like a massive step, but in the table it is a small step.
"We have to be honest they played Thursday in a very hard game and you could see after 20 minutes we had the fire and things were going to go our way.
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