Sunderland reached the Checkatrade Trophy quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over the U21 side of arch-rivals Newcastle.
A crowd of 16,654 - more than the attendances of the other ties combined and featuring 2,780 from Tyneside - was at the Stadium of Light to see the League One side claim bragging rights, albeit it an unbalanced clash on a lower-profile stage.
Jack Ross's side took the lead in fortuitous circumstances after a goalless first half as Chris Maguire's corner was turned into his own net by Kelland Watts (46).
Charlie Wyke soon met another Maguire corner (52) and provider turned scorer in the 72nd minute, Maguire striking from 30 yards to extend the hosts' lead.
Substitute Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpiok added further gloss four minutes from time as both fans traded taunts in the stands.
"It wasn't a normal game," Ross said. "But the atmosphere gave me a taste of what proper derbies must be like.
"The consequences of us losing the game and what that would have brought would have obviously been challenging for me."
Elsewhere, Manchester City U21s fought back from 2-0 down to beat Rochdale 4-2 and reach the last eight.
Jimmy McNulty and Stephen Dooley had put the hosts in control but City hit back through Luke Bolton, Taylor Richards and a double from substitute Jayden Braff.
League Two Bury also rallied from a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat League One Accrington, thanks to Dom Telford (2), Nicky Maynard and Danny Mayor.
Portsmouth beat Southend 2-0, while Bristol Rovers edged Northampton 2-1.
Oxford and Port Vale needed penalties to progress from their respective ties against Cheltenham and Shrewsbury.