With Ashley and executive director (football) Dennis Wise nowhere to be seen, it was left to managing director Derek Llambias, the man with whom Kevin Keegan held heated discussions before his resignation, to bear the brunt of a concerted backlash.
Events off the pitch were not helped by events on it for the home side as a promising start was ripped apart by Marlon King's 34th-minute penalty, and by the time King doubled his tally nine minutes after the break, they were in meltdown.
Debutant Xisco pulled a goal back nine minutes from time, but there was to be no salvation on a day when emotions ran high on Tyneside.
The resumption of talks between Ashley and Keegan overnight had given fresh, if unlikely, cause for optimism, but it is hard to see why the 57-year-old would want to wade back into the mess which has engulfed the club he loves in recent weeks.
The Geordie faithful arrived at St James' Park in numbers long before kick-off as planned protests against Ashley and Wise provided the back-drop to the game.
Thousands of fans turned up to voice their support for Keegan carrying banners which left observers in little doubt as to where their loyalties lay, among them "Wise up, drink up, sell up'', "Ashley and the Wise guy out'' and "I'm only here to support my team''.
Once inside the stadium, it was the latter sentiment which came to the fore as the supporters got behind the patched-up side caretaker boss Chris Hughton was able to send out.
Hughton named Spanish striker Xisco in the starting line-up, and he might have made a name for himself with his career on Tyneside just minutes old.
Player of the Match : Marlon King (Hull)
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