11 mins Steve Harper's upfield ball was helped on by Shola Ameobi to Kevin Nolan, who promptly turned and shot beyond Adam Federici at the far end of the ground 1-0

45 mins Goal number 18 of the season for Kevin Nolan arrived when a swift counter attack saw Danny Guthrie and Wayne Routledge combine well to set him up for a neat finish from close in 2-0

Half time: Royals 0 Magpies 2

48 mins The home side reduced the deficit in bizarre circumstances, when Jose Enrique's attempted goal-line clearance cannoned off the unwitting Danny Simpson and looped back past Harper 2-1

Full time: Royals 1 Magpies 2

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton said:

"We are very close now and we can sew it up on Monday now. Whichever way it happens we'll be delighted - there are no celebrations tonight, it is business as normal but we have put ourselves in a great position.

"You could see why Reading have been on a great run but we went about the game the right way and got the goals at the right time. You saw what we are about. Reading were better than us for periods but we saw it out. The players battled it out for the full 97 minutes but we have won another game and they have earned that.

"The players are the ones that went through 97 minutes. When you're on the side, you go through all of the emotions. After a game you get quite emotionally drained, but these lads get emotionally and physically drained. It's a real hard stint they did, and they deserved it all.

"It was nice, and it's always nice, but it's the players that have put in the 97 minutes. There are a few sore bodies. They put in a lot of blocks, particularly in the last period, and they deserved it all.

"By Kevin’s (Nolan's) standards, he should have scored a hat-trick - he’s been magnificent for us this season. We’re able to play him in midfield, or away from home off the front and what he has done on most occasions is deliver a performance and goals.

"If there’s an area I’m able to freshen things up, it’s up front. Shola’s come back from injury and scored goals of late, and so has Peter I’d made up my mind coming here because I knew it would be a tough game. In effect we played one up front, with Kevin that little bit behind. Fortunately for us, it came off.

"As per normal these talks are ongoing with the chairman and the owner but we know they are different times these days. I think certainly the days of the sums of big transfers and the big transfer kitties – not only for Newcastle but for everybody – they are a thing of the past. I think you have to spend and look to improve but you have to do it wisely.

"What I am conscious of is that we have a real competitive squad that has generated a really good momentum this season and what we have had is players who have also developed this season and there is a group of lads and a squad that I have that deserve an opportunity.

"The fans have been brilliant from day one. First and foremost they support their team and a side that went down a division could possibly have expected a tail-off of support but we have had an average support of over 43, 44, 45,000.

"That is outstanding for the division we are in and for the times we are in. They want to see a team that is trying to win matches and is winning. They have been right behind us particularly away from home. Plymouth will be the longest trek for them but I am sure you will see a similar level of support to wherever we have travelled.

"We know it is going to be tough next season but what you want to be able to do is go into a tough season with good momentum from the last season which is why it is important for us to go on right through to that last game.  The important thing for us is that we have, of course, secured that promotion place but it is about competition for places and keeping momentum going through to the end of the season.

"We have other targets which are appropriate for this group of lads and what they have achieved this season. What you have in a season is that you will have problems that you have to deal with. that is the norm and that will be the norm in any season you have. Unfortunately some of the problems get out and some of them don’t. That would be the norm at every club.

"The ideal way is to keep everything in-house. Sometimes that is not possible. But also you know that when things are going well you can ride things easier than when things are not going so well. We have been fortunate that things have gone well for us for most of the season.”

Shola Ameobi said:

"I’m a local lad, so I know what the city will be like if we get the trophy at home. I remember all those years ago back in 1993, when I was about ten or 11. I can remember what Newcastle was like that day when the trophy was presented and we beat Leicester 7-1. It was incredible, and it would be nice to think that a week on Saturday could be anything like that.

"I wasn’t actually at the game, but I didn’t live far from the stadium and I remember standing outside my house just to hear the noise. It just seemed like it was cheering for hour after hour after hour. It was something I’ve remembered all my life, and it’s amazing to think I might be part of something similar all these years down the line.

"It will be fantastic to have the trophy presented at St James’, and that’s our aim now. It will be lovely for the home fans to be able to see us lift that trophy and celebrate with us. Hopefully, we can go down to Plymouth and do what we’ve done all season – grind things out and come away with a good result.

"We’ve got good quality in this squad, but nobody has a God-given right to just walk through this league. It doesn’t work like that. We’ve had to earn that and work really hard. We did that again on Tuesday, and that’s pleasing.

"We’ve coped with whatever people have thrown at us all season, and our quality has shown through in the end. We have a lot of players who can score goals, and they’ve generally got the job done for us. Now, we just have one more point to go.

"The target at the start of the season was to get this club back to where I feel it belongs. We didn’t deserve to be there this season – that’s why we’ve been playing in the Championship with no cause for complaint about being in this division. But we’ve fully deserved to go back up as champions, and hopefully we’ll wrap that up in the next week."

Before the game the same player had commented that:

"We said all season it's about bringing a winning mentality to the club, and hopefully we can take that, and the confidence we've gained, into next season. We can bring it on and build on it. There's no substitute for winning. You're out there to win games, and in recent seasons we haven't done that as much as we'd have liked.

"Everyone wants to be around the place and playing, and that's been lacking in recent seasons*. Long may it continue. All the credit goes down to Chris Hughton for the way he's dealt with us as players. From the word go he's brought us together as a team, and you can see that on a day-to-day basis on the training ground.

(*missing words from that sentence - Michael, Mark and Oba)

"Promotion came first, but a close second was winning the league. We've got a chance to do that now. We've got another hard game at Reading, who are flying high at home. It'll be tough, but all season we've been prepared mentally and physically, and we'll be going there looking for three points. It was great to score the treble last time out, and of course you'd want to repeat that.

"And it was a special day because of Sir Bobby Robson. It was a great start to the season for us, and if we could reproduce the form we had that day, I think we'll be capable of getting all three points.

"We've got everyone fit now**. There's a lot of competition for places at the moment, so when you get your chance, you've got to take it. You've got to make sure you give a performance"

(**have we really? what about Steven Taylor?)

Royals boss Brian McDermott inexplicably failed to reply when asked the question "what are the scores, George Dawes?", but did say that: 

"I thought we had a go from minute one and I cannot fault our effort. We didn’t get enough shots off in the first half, but for the first half an hour I thought we played at a good tempo and put them under a lot of pressure.

"Their keeper didn’t make a save and then they got their two goals. The first was from nothing really, just a long ball and the second was the same so it’s disappointing from our point of view to go in 2-0 down.

"You can see the spirit, not just on the pitch but off it as well. You have seen that growing during the last three months and we have got that back and that is really important as far as I am concerned.”