They could just name it the Chris Hughton Stadium. With all the chaos, confusion and ultimate farce off the pitch, it is the newly appointed permanent manager of Newcastle United who stands head and shoulders above it all.

His side remain top of the table, and this victory was just about as easy as it gets, albeit against a team that provided only shambolic opposition.

Amid all the optimism, it is all causing huge problems for the phenomenal home support, who do not know whether to celebrate or demonstrate. Even before the kick-off, the chants of “Ashley out” echoed outside the main entrance, and the chairman — most recently maligned for attempting to re-brand the venue as the sportsdirect.com@St James’ Park Stadium — was given little charity throughout the game.

On the pitch, the action was given a quick kick-start, with two goals in virtually two minutes after only a quarter of an hour. The Argentinian Jonas Gutierrez, who looked like a man on a mission straight from the off, meandered his way through a bemused defence to fire home his first goal for the club after 45 games. It was quickly followed by Andy Carroll rising almost unchallenged to nod in a corner.

Peterborough damage limitation tactics of leaving Craig Mackail-Smith as a lone striker always seemed doomed to failure. The second-half introduction of Aaron McLean to play alongside him did improve the contest slightly but by this time it was too little too late as a marvellously audacious chip from Danny Simpson wide out on the right flank after only seven minutes of the second half sailed over a stranded Joe Lewis in the Peterborough goal to sign, seal and deliver all three points.

After the turnaround, the unemployed Steve Harper in the Newcastle goal eventually had some work to do, with a couple of close-range stops from McLean and then Mackail-Smith. Peterborough eventually snatched a consolation goal, with Dean Keates sliding in from the edge of the six-yard box with little over 10 minutes remaining.

Afterwards, the delighted Newcastle manager, with the echoes of “Ashley out” still reverberating from outside the ground, said: “We have great support, and this is a very difficult place to come. We set our stall out early, and we played with good tempo. We are a totally focused group of players.”

This victory means that Newcastle remain unbeaten at home, and the early signs still show that this could be a long and arduous season for Peterborough, whose very place in the Championship remains under threat. They are now bottom of the table.

Star man: Andy Carroll (Newcastle) Yellow cards: Peterborough: Bennett

Referee: A D’Urso Attendance: 43,067

NEWCASTLE: Harper 7, Coloccini 6, Jose Enrique 6, Simpson 7, Taylor 6, Nolan 7, Guthrie 8, Gutierrez 6 (Taylor 21min), Harewood 5 (Ranger 77min), Smith 7, Carroll 8 (Lovenkrands 78min)

PETERBOROUGH:Lewis 5, Morgan 6, Bennett 5, Lee 5, Keates 6, Rowe 5, Diagoura 5 (Coutts 46min), Whelpdale 6 (Batt 75min), Rose 6 (McLean 46min), Boyd 6, Mackail-Smith 5

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football