WHILE their fans stood up for St James’ Park, Newcastle’s players raised their game in tribute to a sacred ground’s footballing traditions. Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Simpson were left walking tall after scoring their maiden English goals. In between, Andy Carroll literally hit the heights in powering home a memorable header. Dean Keates’ late goal salvaged some pride from a sobering day for Peterborough, whose impoverished football belied their nickname. But the game – if not the occasion – had been all wrapped up well within its first quarter. It was less sportsdirect.com, more goalsdirect.com as two goals in three minutes – by Gutierrez and Carroll – brought the Posh boys to heel. Another express delivery, by Simpson, seven minutes into the second half merely confirmed Newcastle’s superiority. But the worry, other than an injury to Gutierrez, is that one more small step on the road back to the Premier League will keep the grinning goon in the directors’ box from budging a single inch. Those supporters can say, sing and shout what they like, but victories like this mean the man from sportsdirect.com is unlikely to get dot.gone. Not unless he loses that oft-worn white shirt to the gentlemen of the Serious Fraud Office. Kicking off amid a heady mix of fervent support and rabid abuse, Newcastle were clearly at pains to illustrate the distance between boardroom and dressing room. That Gutierrez finally found the net at the 45th time of asking on these shores underlined that this was a team looking to move to a new level after several months of unspectacular solidity. United were at it from the very off, with Simpson pulling an effort across the face of goal after a decent ball by Marlon Harewood – bravely preferred to Nile Ranger up front. And Gutierrez, who so often flatters to deceive, looked genuinely menacing in a more roving role than normal, launched one early foray into the Posh box, but saw his finish deflected wide. The fans reacted in kind, with a chorus of “Stand up for St James’ Park” striking the perfect tone. And how they were rewarded on the quarter-hour. Gutierrez, again from an unusually central position, launched a giddy and glorious 45-yard run into the heart of the Posh box. And although defender Craig Morgan got a block on the ball as Gutierrez lined up a shot, it cannoned back off the Argentine and fizzed past keeper Joe Lewis. It turned out – thank the Lord – that Spiderman hasn’t had his mask hidden down his pants these past 15 months. Shame the superhero’s day was to be as short as it was sweet. But, even before Gutierrez took his premature leave, things got sweeter still for United. Having delivered a searching right-wing cross which could only be cleared behind, Danny Guthrie did even better with the resulting corner, picking out a soaring, swivelling Carroll to head home joyously from 12 yards. Two might have become three either side of the substitution, with Kevin Nolan firing over – from another Guthrie assist – and the oncoming Ryan Taylor seeing a shot deflected wide. Amid the fun on the pitch, an “Ashley Out” banner in the Gallowgate End stirred the ire of stewards and the voices of the angry home faithful again. But, as the rain fell ever more freely, Newcastle’s football remained slick. And no more so than when Guthrie created space for himself just inside the box and beat Lewis all ends up with a fierce left-foot shot, only for the post to deny him. Things calmed down significantly as the interval approached, with a pitiful Posh having just about cleared their heads of the effects of United’s quickfire one-two. Even so, the visitors’ double half-time change was no surprise, with Aaron McLean flung on to double their striker quota. But it was United, with a neatly-improvised lob by Ryan Taylor onto the roof of the net, who threatened immediately after the restart. And it was game over by the 52nd minute – courtesy of another first. From Harewood’s lay-off, Simpson cut inside from the right and floated in a cross – though he may describe it otherwise – which a flapping Lewis allowed to fly into his top right-hand corner. It was Simpson’s first ever goal – albeit in only his 60th career appearance – and relaxed an already somewhat defused atmosphere still further. A little too relaxed, if the three superb saves Steve Harper then had to produce – all low to his left from McLean, McKail-Smith and Chris Whelpdale – were any guide. At the other end, Posh’s failings remained painful, with Nolan’s impromptu chip almost embarrassing Lewis again, and Harewood’s header from the consequent corner being cleared off the line by McLean. Lewis did better in turning away a fierce strike by Jose Enrique, after which Newcastle again went off the boil. And Peterborough punctured the mood by pulling a goal back 10 minutes from time. After an initial shot had been blocked, a sliding Keates steered the rebound past Harper. United made life unduly awkward for themselves in the closing minutes, but nowhere near enough for Peterborough to harbour genuine hopes of a comeback. All that remained was for a farcical tug-of-war between stewards and fans over another anti-Ashley banner, and the now sadly traditional post-match “demonstration” beneath the Milburn Stand.
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