AFTER helping Newcastle United climb back to the top of the Championship, goalkeeper Steve Harper is confident lessons were learnt during a recent dip in form that had threatened to derail their promotion hopes.

Harper’s two injury-time saves at Bramall Lane on Monday night from Keith Treacy and Darius Henderson secured a 1-0 victory which sent the Magpies above Cardiff and West Brom to head the division.

It was Newcastle’s second win in a row, bringing to an end a run of four matches without a victory.

The upturn has lifted confidence again and there is a collective determination to make sure the run continues when Peterborough visit St James’ Park this Saturday.

“It’s well documented that it’s a fantastic dressing room we have got in there and we have a lot of individuals who have high standards and demand those standards are met by everyone else,” said Harper.

“If they don’t reach them they let them know about it.

We got back to those standards on Monday night in terms of the effort and hard work needed away from home.

“Everybody has had a wobble and so have we. We were probably the last side in the division to have one, but it’s not been a great few weeks.

We drew the two home games and lost two in a row away from home as well.

“That allowed the chasing pack to catch us up. We need to put another good run together and build a lead again.

But we know, if we don’t match the standards we have set against Sheffield United, we will wobble again and we will give hope to the teams behind us.”

Prior to the home win over Doncaster ten days ago, when they overturned a one-goal deficit to claim an injury-time winner, Newcastle had lost at Scunthorpe and Nottingham Forest, having drawn with Bristol City and QPR at St James’.

Harper said: “We have learnt our lesson. The first half at Forest was probably as poor as we have been. At Scunthorpe we played pretty well but gave two bad goals away.

“The Sheffield United game was an example of people covering for each other and working for each other.

“You have to be able to grind out results away from home, we can’t just rely on our home form.

“All the top seven or eight are all playing each other on Saturday.

“We owe Peterborough one.

A few of their players were milking it when they beat our young lads in the Carling Cup so we’ll definitely be up for it on Saturday.”

Newcastle’s players, hoping to have Steven Taylor available after injury this weekend, will have to contend with the prospect of demonstrations before, during and after the visit of Posh.

More than 11,000 people have signed an online petition set up by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust following Ashley’s decision to invite offers to take over the naming rights of the stadium.

It is a decision that has been met with widespread anger on Tyneside, where disgruntled fans are expecting to increase the pressure they are putting on the club’s owner by stepping up their criticism of him.

Last week he took the club off the market, but he is still thought to be willing to listen to offers from interested parties prepared to match his £100m valuation.