NEWCASTLE UNITED moved five points clear at the top of the Championship by defeating a major promotion rival for the second time inside a week.

A club record equalling 13th away victory – matching the tally recorded by Kevin Keegan’s bunch in 1992-93 – was sealed at third-placed Huddersfield Town just days after beating Brighton on the south coast.

Newcastle can head to Reading, who are fifth, on Tuesday safe in the knowledge that they have put automatic promotion firmly in their own hands with these two significant wins; they sit 11 points clear of the play-off zone.

Huddersfield had complaints about the first two Newcastle goals, but both stood to put Newcastle ahead before the break.

Matt Ritchie scored the first early on from the spot when he was deemed to have been tripped in the area, with the Terriers claiming he went to ground too cheaply.

And Irishman Daryl Murphy stroked in his fourth for Newcastle after nicking the ball away from the clutches of goalkeeper Danny Ward. It counted even though Huddersfield argued Ward had hold of it.

Huddersfield battled back after the restart and Aaron Mooy scored a penalty of his own with 18 minutes remaining, only for Dwight Gayle to make the most of an error to grab his 21st goal of the season in stoppage-time.

The controversies helped maintain a raucous atmosphere inside the John Smith’s Stadium, that was apparent even before a ball had been kicked. Newcastle had to be prepared to withstand an energetic start from a Huddersfield team full of confidence.

The Terriers’ seven-match unbeaten run had put them right in the thick of the automatic promotion race, particularly after a defeat earlier in the day for Brighton at Nottingham Forest.

To counter that Rafa Benitez chose to start with the more defensively minded Vurnon Anita at right-back and the more natural centre-forward Murphy after playing DeAndre Yedlin and Yoan Gouffran at Brighton.

The decisions worked. Newcastle withstood what was thrown at them early on and thereafter, as Newcastle claimed a two-goal lead before the break – no matter how much the home fans and players complained.

Ritchie made no mistake with his penalty in the tenth minute, sending goalkeeper Danny Ward the wrong way. He had earned it when he was tripped near the byline by Nahki Wells moments after Murphy had forced Ward into a one-handed save.

Philip Billing went close at the other end with a 30-yard drive Karl Darlow turned away, but Newcastle hit the crucial second in the 33rd minute.

Murphy found himself in behind the defence but his first touch presented Ward with a chance to gather. He appeared to only have one hand on the ball when Murphy poked it from his grasp before sliding a low finish over the line from a tight angle.

After the PA announcer at half-time cheekily claimed ‘I don’t think (referee) Roger East will be getting too many Christmas cards from this neck of the woods’ and Huddersfield’s Harry Bunn – a guest on the pitch at the break – suggested Ritchie had ‘dived’ for the opener, Newcastle just had to finish the job off after the break.

Huddersfield went looking for the goal that would have made things interesting, with Billing, Wells and Rajiv van la Parra the likeliest to strike a blow initially. The visitors did everything correctly though until Shelvey brought down Elias Kachunga in the box.

Aussie midfielder Mooy picked out the inside of Darlow’s right hand post to tee up a frantic finish.

But Newcastle remained strong to keep out an equaliser and killed any chance of a Huddersfield point when Gayle tapped into the empty net after a blunder from goalkeeper Joel Coleman.

HUDDERSFIELD (4-2-3-1): Ward (Coleman 46); Smith, Schindler, Hefele, Lowe (Quaner 87); Mooy, Billing (Hogg 66); Kachunga, Brown, La Parra; Wells. Subs: Hudson, Cranie, Payne, Lolley.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-3-2-1): Darlow; Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Shelvey, Colback (Gouffran 72); Ritchie, Diame, Atsu (Yedlin 81); Murphy (Gayle 66). Subs: Elliot (gk), Gamez, Hanley, Perez.