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Gutierrez: First goal for Magpies

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Championship pace-setters Newcastle continued their charge back to the top flight with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Peterborough.

Chris Hughton's side won the game thanks to first goals for the club from Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Simpson, with Andy Carroll heading home in between.

Posh pulled back a late consolation with 11 minutes to go through Dean Keates but it was too little, too late for Darren Ferguson's side.

Under-fire Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was subjected to angry protests both before and during the game - one banner read "Not wanted@St James' Park" - but 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 as, along with Gutierrez and Simpson's goals, it was the first game since Ashley re-named the ground the sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium and Hughton's first home game as permanent manager.

Mesmerising run

Gutierrez was denied a seventh-minute opener after a mesmerising run into the box when his shot was blocked by defender Ryan Bennett but he did not have to wait long to make his mark.

With 15 minutes gone, the Argentinean international set out from half way before cutting inside from the left wing and carving his way through the blue shirts then firing right-footed past keeper Joe Lewis.

Newcastle were 2-0 up within three minutes when Carroll guided Danny Guthrie's corner beyond Lewis with a deft near-post header.

Kevin Nolan fired over from 20 yards as Posh struggled to keep the home side at bay but Newcastle were dealt a blow when Gutierrez limped off after only 21 minutes to be replaced by Ryan Taylor.

Guthrie fired against the foot of the far post with 28 minutes gone but, as the visitors finally responded, the Magpies became sloppy in possession.

Beaten

However, Lewis was beaten for the third time seven minutes after the break when full-back Simpson cut inside from the right and curled a left-foot shot into the top corner.

Steve Harper had to make his first real save of the game from George Boyd's 57th-minute shot and was stretched further by substitute Aaron Mclean's effort seconds later, and he excelled himself once again to block Craig Mackail-Smith's 62nd-minute shot from point-blank range.

However, in the meantime, Lewis had had to deny first Nolan and then Marlon Harewood in quick succession, and he later had to keep out a Jose Enrique piledriver as the home side went for the kill.

Keates struck from close range with 79 minutes gone but there was no way back for Posh.