11 mins Steve Harper and Fabricio Coloccini got in a mess with a hopeful through ball and Harper's weak clearance was returned over his head by midfielder Dominic Green to give the bottom-placed side something of a shock lead 0-1

45 mins Having combined to good effect for United's killer second goal against Forest, Jose Enrique and Shola Ameobi played a one-two which allowed the former to reach the left hand byline in possession. Enrique squared the ball and Kevin Nolan rather messily netted from five yards with a scuffed flick that touched a defender on the way in. Still, they all count.  1-1

Half time: Posh 1 Toon 1

48 mins Zakuani's lunge on Ameobi saw the Posh defender booked and a free kick awarded to Newcastle towards the left hand corner of the area. Having wafted a couple of attempts harmlessly wide earlier in the game, up stepped Joey Barton to clip home a right-footed free kick to the right of diving 'keeper Joe Lewis. Rather than celebrating with the away fans behind the goal though, Barton ran to embrace United's medical staff in front of the dugout. 

Replays of the goal showed that Nolan had done his "Haka" as the free kick was taken - turning towards the keeper and crouching down while making eye contact. It may just have worked.  2-1

59 mins Leon Best took possession on the left flank and played the ball infield to Shola Ameobi, who had a clear sight of goal. The striker advanced a couple of paces before striking a right footed effort from around 20 yards that bounced in front of the Posh 'keeper and somehow went in 3-1

76 mins A long throw from down by the corner flag on Peterborough's left side was flung in by Exodus Geohaghon and nodded on at the near post by a colleague who got ahead of both Nolan and Mike Williamson. The ball dropped nicely for Liam Dickinson to scoop the ball home from 6 yards past Harper, who was hardly helped by attempted clearances from Alan Smith and Enrique 3-2

Full time: Posh 2 Toon 3

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton said:

"There’s a sense of relief in the dressing room and I also think a bit of anticipation. It will be fitting to do it in front of our own fans. A lot of people would like to do it at St James’ Park. To have had the outstanding support that we have had, we just all hope we can finish off the job. 

"You always want to wrap up promotion at the first available opportunity and while that didn't happen today, we know we are nearly there. 

"We have shown all season that we have the character and resilience to come from behind and pick up results, and that is something we did again.

"I didn’t know what was going on at Bristol (City), but I was aware a pocket of our supporters looked in joyful mood at one point. We just had to concentrate on our job, which was challenging enough today. 

"It was a very difficult pitch, and they dealt with it better than us in the first half today. But although we let them have too much possession, they didn’t threaten us too often, and the fact that we were able to get the goal just before half time made a big difference.

“I told them at half-time that we needed to press the ball more and be a threat more in the final third. After how things went early on, there’s a big relief that we go the result today – it was a game which could have gone either way.

"But all season we have shown our resilience, and we did it again here. Now it’s in our hands back at St James’, which might put a couple of thousand extra on the gate, and we are all looking forward to that.”

They came, they saw and they ultimately conquered, but Newcastle's promotion celebrations didn't quite kick into gear at London Road on Saturday due to events elsewhere. 

Bristol City's draw against Nottingham Forest at Ashton Gate left the Magpies a point short of mathematically confirming their Premier League return, but does allow them to finish the job at SJP against Sheffield United on Monday evening.

Chris Hughton's major midfield reshuffle looked to have backfired as Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Fabrice Pancrate and Alan Smith struggled to find any fluency on a rough pitch and Posh took an early lead, soon after news that promotion rivals Forest were losing spread.

It could have been two shortly after, but Sergio Torres lobbed the ball high and wide of Harper's goal after racing into the box. Despite that let off though, the Magpies failed to raise their game and half time came into view with nothing seen of the league leaders as an attacking force.

The dying seconds of the first half then saw Nolan bundle in an equaliser to put a shine on our poorest opening 45 minutes since the defeat at Derby. That wasn't enough to spare the side some harsh words at the interval though and Wayne Routledge appeared in place of the soon-to-be-ex- Magpie Pancrate.

Instantly the visitors looked more interested and had the home side on the back foot straight away. From their first sight of goal Barton duly notched a rare goal and normal service was resumed.

Shola's speculative shot just before the hour then appeared to have wrapped things up and attention began to turn back to events down in Bristol. Despite a brief outbreak of (phantom) cheering though from one section of the away support though, nothing more came.  

With manager in waiting Gary Johnson watching from the stand, Posh kept up their efforts and did manage to reduce the arrears. That created some anxious moments towards the end of the game, with Harper grateful to see two efforts fly over his bar and a late penalty appeal ruled out.

Best came close to breaking his duck but a fourth Toon goal never arrived and promotion celebrations were delayed until Monday at least. That didn't deter some of the Newcastle players from saluting the travelling support at full time, throwing their shirts into the cheering crowd. 

Our Easter Rising could be confirmed before kickoff at home to Sheffield United on Monday night, with third-placed Forest facing fourth-placed Cardiff in a teatime kickoff.  Were Michael Chopra's Bluebirds to take anything from the City Ground that would leave Forest with too much ground to make up on Newcastle. 

Regardless of that though, a point against the Blades will make what has now been achieved mathematically certain. 

Biffa