THREE points clear at the top of the Championship and now a place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup has been delivered after Newcastle hit Preston North End for six.

Maybe suffering relegation from the Premier League wasn’t such a bad idea, after all?

The supporters have certainly bought into the revolution under Rafael Benitez, with a hugely impressive crowd of 49,042 inside St James’ Park to witness this fourth round victory; the biggest crowd for a league cup game on Tyneside in 40 years.

Newcastle’s players certainly played their part too.

Aleksandar Mitrovic got things rolling with a convincing header in the 19th minute to celebrate his recall by grabbing his second goal of the season.

Then, after Preston’s Alan Browne was red carded for a reckless jump with Jack Colback, Newcastle’s Mohamed Diame struck his first for the Magpies in style before Benitez’s side hit cruise control after the restart.

There was a successful penalty for Matt Ritchie eight minutes in and a second for Mitrovic a couple of minutes later as Preston were brushed aside with ease to move Newcastle into the last eight of the competition for only the second time in the last nine years.

To cap things off, there were two more goals in the final three minutes, with Diame scoring a second from distance and substitute Ayoze Perez precisely picked out the bottom corner.

This is shaping up to be a first full season under Benitez to remember and there is a sense that the squad he has put together is getting more confident by the day; no matter who he names in his starting line-up.

There have been plenty of occasions during the last few years when the league cup has just been an afterthought; even the boardroom have indicated that progressing in such a competition was not on their list of demands.

Promotion back to the Premier League is clearly the priority for Benitez, but under him the transformation in mood has been huge – highlighted once more by the size of the crowd inside St James’.

Reduced ticket prices was a wise move by managing director Lee Charnley and playing in front of fans rather than empty seats was clearly a positive for the players, although Preston’s players looked buoyed themselves at the start.

Newcastle, who made seven changes to the team that started Saturday’s win over Ipswich, were the first team to really cause a problem and Isaac Hayden must have wondered how he did not find the net in the 17th minute.

The former Arsenal midfielder cut inside from the byline and curled a left-foot effort off the inside of the far post but it somehow bounced to safety.

The opener arrived less than two minutes later though.

Mitrovic, who has had to remain patient for the majority of the season so far because of Dwight Gayle’s performances, found the net. He leaped highest in the area to power Ritchie’s free-kick from the left beyond goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard.

Newcastle looked dangerous from there on in and in control, particularly after Browne was instantly dismissed for his outrageous attempt to head the ball seven minutes later.

The Preston midfielder decided to lead with his fist as he jumped and smashed Jack Colback flush in the face, leaving the Newcastle man dazed and requiring treatment in the dressing room. He was replaced by Jonjo Shelvey moments later.

Newcastle saw winger Christian Atsu drill an effort inches wide of Lindegaard’s right hand post and Preston, who had hardly tested the returning Matz Sels in the home goal after making nine changes to the weekend themselves, were two behind before the break.

Diame might have had an indifferent time so far since his move from Hull City but there was nothing wrong with his first goal for the club.

When Mitrovic had broken at speed towards the Preston penalty area, his attempted through pass for Atsu was blocked. Diame charged towards the loose ball and struck a sweet right-foot drive from 22 yards first time inside Lindegaard’s bottom right.

The Senegal international should have added a second soon after. He somehow side-footed wide with the goal gaping after Mitrovic had rolled a pass into his direction; it was all too easy for Newcastle who could have been out of sight by the break.

But Preston, who made a couple of substitutions to try to make a game of it, could find no way to stem the tide and Newcastle soon widened the gap with a couple of quick-fire goals shortly after.

Ritchie won the penalty when he was tripped by Bailey Wright in the box and then, after refusing to hand over taking duties to Mitrovic, he powered the spot-kick high and down the middle of Lindegaard’s goal.

Less than two minutes later Mitrovic did get his second. Ritchie turned supplier with a deep cross before the Serbian chested down, rounded a couple of players, as well as the keeper, before firing into the net.

Atsu hit the post and headed against the bar, while Vuron Anita was denied by Lindegaard as the scoreline threatened to embarrass Preston by an even wider scoreline.

Newcastle’s players showed how much they are enjoying football at the moment.

It is a far cry from the doom and gloom of last season and even when Preston did counter-attack late on, Sels made a fine save to his left to turn away Wright’s downward header.

A fifth goal arrived late on.

Diame, fed possession from Shelvey just inside his own half, had the space to run into and from 25 yards he picked out the bottom left corner of Lindegaard’s net with another lovely finish.

Newcastle still found time for one more, with Perez finding the same corner in stoppage-time to cap an effective win and reward the huge home faithful for turning up.

MATCH STATS

Goals: 

1-0: Mitrovic (19, powerfully headed Ritchie’s free-kick beyond Lindegaard from Ritchie’s free-kick)

2-0: Diame (38, struck a loose ball first time crisply inside the far post from 22 yards)

3-0: Ritchie pen (53, powered a dead ball straight down the middle and into the roof of the net)

4-0: Mitrovic (55, chested down Ritchie cross, rounded two players, then the keeper before finishing)

5-0: Diame (87, picked his spot in the bottom corner from 25 yards after running from deep)

6-0: Perez (90, curled a precise finish inside the bottom right from the edge of the area)

Bookings:  Doyle (30, foul); Mitrovic (55, over-celebration)

Sending-off:  Browne (26, violent conduct)

Referee: Andrew Madley (Walsall) – had little option but to send off Browne and had a positive game in the middle. 7

Attendance: 49, 042

Entertainment: ***

             Newc PNE

Shots on  13     1

Shots off 12      1

Corners    9       2

Offsides    1       1

Foul         6      12

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-1-4-1):  

5 Sels: Hardly had anything to do but was alert in the first half on the occasions the ball came his way;

6 Yedlin: Didn’t need to have the impact in the final third he would like but still played well

6 Mbemba: Straight forward return to the side and might have scored with a header on another night

6 Hanley: Played things neatly and simply without ever really being tested in a defensive sense

6 Dummett: Comfortable night for the stand-in skipper but did what he had to do before he was withdrawn;

6 Colback: Had started well until Browne’s fist wiped him out and left him in a daze down the tunnel

8 Hayden: Kept things moving in the middle and went close with a fine effort in the first half;

8 RITCHIE: Lively from the outset and was the man delivering the dangerous deliveries to cause problems, as well as scoring himself

8 Diame: Struck a fine first goal for the Magpies from 22 yards than gave Newcastle the extra cushion before adding a second

7 Atsu: Unfortunate not to score with a couple of good efforts on goal and his wing play caused problems;  

8 Mitrovic: Two goals for the Serbian, a booking and he might have had a hat-trick had Ritchie allowed him to take the penalty

Subs:

Shelvey (for Colback 32): Got involved plenty after his early introduction. 6

Anita (for Dummett 58): Operated as a left-back on this occasion. 5

Perez (for Ritchie 75)

(not used): Darlow (gk), Clark, Gayle, Perez, Gouffran.

PRESTON NORTH END (5-3-2): LINDEGAARD 6; Humphrey 4, Wright 4, Huntington 5, Davies 5 (Clarke 46, 4), Spurr 4; Browne 2, Grimshaw 5, Pringle 4 (Gallagher 46, 5); Doyle 4, Makienok 4 (Johnson 63, 5). Subs (not used): Beckford, Maxwell (gk), Hugill, Robinson.  

MAN OF THE MATCH: MATT Ritchie – a constant menace again to the visiting defence to help Newcastle into the last eight.