Newcastle United have defeated Stoke City 1-0 at the bet365 Stadium for their first back-to-back away wins in the Premier League since November 2014.
The only goal of the game arrived 73 minutes in through Ayoze Perez, who converted into the bottom corner following some nice work from Jacob Murphy.
Stoke have now lost five of their last seven matches, conceding 17 goals in the process, and find themselves two points above the dropzone having played two games more than 18th-placed West Ham United.
A wayward shot from Christian Atsu after seven minutes helped to kickstart the match, and the Ghanaian winger was involved again soon after when curling one wide.
Atsu really should have done better from his next chance, though, failing to get the better of Jack Butland from a good position once spotted by DeAndre Yedlin.
Stoke managed to grow into the contest slightly and tested Karl Darlow for the first time through a sweetly-struck Charlie Adam drive, but it was Newcastle who were most deserving of a breakthrough.
Ciaran Clark somehow ballooned the ball over the bar from three yards out, before Matt Ritchie got in a couple of attempts that Butland was equal to on both occasions.
Outcast midfielder Adam was proving to be Stoke's best player, coming close with another long-range effort and then sending in a fizzing cross that Darlow had to deal with.
Chances then came and went for Maxim Choupo-Moting and Jonjo Shelvey, though the only goal of the afternoon would arrive moments later through Perez.
Having had a penalty appeal rejected three minutes beforehand, the Spanish forward turned the ball past Butland following some impressive work by Murphy down the right-hand side.
Stoke, winners against Newcastle in their last four encounters here, applied some late pressure and came close to levelling things up.
Mame Biram Diouf was twice denied by fine Darlow saves, before shooting wide from close range and then glancing the ball over the bar in added time to potentially bring down the curtain on Hughes's tenure.
Stoke City (3-4-3): Butland; Edwards, Zouma, Wimmer; Cameron, Allen, Adam, Pieters (Berahino 71'); Shaqiri (Diouf 57'), Crouch, Choupo-Moting
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Yedlin, Clark, Lascelles, Manquillo; Diame, Shelvey; Ritchie, Atsu (Gayle 64'), J.Murphy (Dummett 82'); Perez (Hayden 90')
Daniel Lewis
