Mike Ashley was spared a mauling as Newcastle cruised to a 3-1 victory over Peterborough to cement their place at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship table.

The under-fire owner was subjected to angry protests both before and during the game - one banner read "Not wanted@St James' Park" - but Chris Hughton's players ensured the supporters had something positive to shout about with a rousing performance.

It was a day of firsts for the Magpies: the first game since Ashley re-named the ground the sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium, Chris Hughton's first home game as permanent manager and first goals for Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Simpson.

But from the moment Gutierrez capped an enterprising 15th-minute run with the opening goal, the bulk of a crowd of 43,067 were at least able to enjoy the fare on offer on the pitch.

Andy Carroll made it 2-0 with an 18th-minute header and Simpson's curling effort seven minutes after the break secured the points long before Dean Keates' consolation strike 10 minutes from time.