51 mins Pattison shot 2-0

58 mins Walton shot 3-0

67 mins Walton shot 4-0

Full time: Shildon 0 Newcastle 4

Tommy Craig said:

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While the first team squad were away sweating their proverbials off in the Far East, a young Newcastle reserve side had a relatively gentle introduction to the new season at a sunny Dean Street in Shildon.

Exactly a year after their last visit to this venue, a side composed mostly of last season's Academy squad improved on the efforts of the 2003 side, who shared six goals with then-tenants Bishop Auckland.

Newcastle were in town at the invitation of Shildon as one of two professional sides lining up at Dean Street in pre-season, both ourselves and fellow Magpies Notts County contesting silverware in tribute to the Shildon player Lee Hainsworth, who died in a car accident.

Both sides gathered in the centre circle for a pre-match silent tribute to Hainsworth before the game got underway, the home side being backed enthusiastically by their junior supporters (of both sexes) in one corner of the main stand.

Early chances were in short supply, with Lee Ellison's curling free kick on 14 minutes calling visiting 'keeper Adam Bartlett into action for the first time. His opposite number Adam Reid a spectator as Newcastle created their first chance two minutes later, Ramage heading over from a Marshall corner.

United striker Carl Finnigan then held his head in anguish after spurning a great chance to put his side ahead on 27 minutes, snatching at his first-time shot and ballooning his effort from 12 yards over the crossbar after being set up by a good combination from Gate and Atkin down the right.

Within ten minutes his strike partner Guy Bates showed himself for the first time, slotting home the opener from 10 yards, after the Shildon 'keeper had diverted Danny Howe's shot back to him and he sidefooted it to Bates.

That was the signal for Newcastle to force the pace and almost from the restart they attacked again, Bates turning provider to play in Finnigan, who eluded the oncoming 'keeper but ran out of room when trying to get his shot away.

And seconds later it was Bates testing Reid, Gate slipping the ball through for him to bounce his effort off the visiting 'keeper. 

Four minutes from the break, Bates won a free kick on the edge of the box, but Marshall's resultant free kick was reminiscent more of Jonny Wilkinson than Alan Shearer.

After the interval United lined up with striker Marc Walton and he was into the action straight away, stretching the home defence on both flanks. On 51 minutes he ghosted into space down the left to pick up a through ball from Phil Cave, before slipping past two Shildon players into the box and bearing down on goal.

While most in the ground expected him to shoot, he unselfishly rolled the ball infield for another substitute, Matty Pattison, to double the lead with ease.

Thereafter it was a question of how many United would notch and when, not if Walton got himself on the scoresheet. Shildon though did threaten Smith's goal just before the hour, Keith Hutchinson finding space on the edge of the box but firing wide when well placed.

The third goal came from Walton on 58 minutes, a clever dink over the advancing goalkeeper after Marshall's mazy run had split the home defence open and from the restart Marshall repeated the feat, Pattison cleverly getting his shot in with a flick and seeing it beat the 'keeper but not the crossbar.

Walton it was who wrapped up the scoring on 67 minutes, picking up a pass from Gate to finish well with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the Shildon goal from the opposite side of the box.

He almost wrapped up a treble, only for 'keeper Reid to tip away his header on 82 minutes. And from the resultant corner it was Huntington's turn to strike the woodwork as he nodded on a flick back from Ramage.

Biffa

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