Newcastle won their playoff first-leg 6-1 on Wednesday night, with Anthony Gordon scoring four goals. Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy also struck on the night.
Howe said afterwards: "We obviously wanted to keep the momentum in the second half. The game changed. They played a lot lower on the pitch and made it more difficult for us. It took us a little period of the game to adjust to that. And then I thought we were good again towards the end. So, overall, it's just a great day for us."
On Gordon, he continued: "He was really, really good in that first half. I think he started the press. A number of his goals came from his attitude off the ball. I'm really pleased with his first goal as well, because that was a key moment. It was a really good finish."
Howe was also pleased with centre-forward Nick Woltemade, though he wasn't on the scoresheet.
He added, "I thought Nick was really good today. I thought off the ball, excellent tactically and he really understood what was asked of him. But very reliable in possession – I don't think he gave a ball away. I thought he was very good in some awkward situations. He's also got that creative flair that we need in that position on the pitch. So he can be really pleased with his day.
"We know the tie's not over, but we've put ourselves in a great position. I just think we've got to be professional in every moment. We know how football can change. We respect every opponent, and we have to be very good in the next game."