If Nottingham Forest fail to beat Cardiff in Easter Monday's tea-time Coca-Cola Championship match, Newcastle's top-two finish will be confirmed before kick-off on Tyneside.
Chris Hughton: "We are so very close and hopefully we can finish the job off in front of our own fans at St James' Park on Easter Monday (when they face Sheffield United).
"That would be an excellent reward for the supporters who have backed us so fantastically all season.
"You always want to wrap up promotion at the first available opportunity and while that didn't happen (at Peterborough), we know we are nearly there."