Mike Ashley laughs as Toon Army protest

IT started up in the gods, level seven of the Milburn Stand, after 14 minutes.

'Stand up for St James' Park!'

So half the ground did, while the other half stayed seated and watched the game.

Apathy? Confusion?

Call it what you want but the spirit of the Toon Army had clearly been battered to a state of near surrender before the latest harebrained scheme to rip up 117 years of history and rename Tyneside's temple of dreams.

They held banners - 'not wanted@stjames'park.com' being the pick - and they burst into song, occasionally vociferously.

But owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias simply sat and laughed.

A head count would have revealed another 40,000-plus crowd - enough to ensure there will be no change at the very top.

Ashley will not get out of their club, as they occasionally implored - not with such phenomenal support.

And the land of confusion will remain for the foreseeable future.

Loathe the owner, love the club. Hate the happenings, support the team. Rebel without ever really rebelling. It is a strange concoction, even by the standards of a club that has walked an indecipherable path for years now.

They did not plaster the owner's store alongside the St James' Park sign that adorns the outside of the ground. Small consolation. It will no doubt come.

Yet still 11 players continue to respond, magnificently oblivious to all around them. To the uncertainty, to the upheaval and to the crass management that currently exists above them.

In truth, yesterday was the day when the opposition failed to show.

Not in the stands, not really. And certainly not on the field, where Newcastle's superiority was embarrassing, where the gulf between the top and bottom of the Championship was glaringly exposed and where this game finished after 18 minutes.

By then even Jonas Gutierrez had scored, ending a 45-game, scoreless, black-and-white marathon with the game's opening goal.

His stirring run ended with a fortuitous finish over Joe Lewis, the overworked Peterborough keeper.

Three minutes later, there was more quality.

Andy Carroll, visibly growing in confidence with each game, planted a fine header past Lewis from a Danny Guthrie cross.

It could have been a hatful. Guthrie struck an upright and Ryan Taylor volleyed over the bar.

Then, improbably seven minutes after the restart, on-loan Manchester United right-back Danny Simpson curled in a left-footed chip from 20 yards to end proceedings. Only then was there a flicker of life from Darren Ferguson's side.

Steve Harper excelled to deny Craig Mackail-Smith but was powerless to deny Dean Keates' scrambled consolation goal 11 minutes from time.

Ferguson admitted: "We didn't give ourselves a chance and that is disappointing.

"We had to stay in the game but didn't keep the ball well enough.

"Credit to Newcastle. I think you have seen the team that will win the league. And credit to Chris Hughton. He has stabilised the club."

Credit indeed, for forging a union and a united front, despite the endless off-field controversy that Newcastle are embroiled in on an almost weekly basis.

Magpies boss Hughton said: "We've got used to getting on with the job.

"There are things we can't affect and I'm very lucky to have a group of players focused on the ultimate aim of getting promoted.

"I didn't have to guard the players. We have a totally focused group, who from minute one saw an opportunity for us to stay on top of the division.

"This was just what we wanted. There were a few edgy moments but we deserved the 3-1 win.

"We have a very good home record and it is important to keep that going."

There was renewed venom towards Ashley late in the game - a demonstration of sorts outside the main entrance, when the fight to hold on to heritage flickered back on to the radar.

They stood again for St James' Park.

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