Half time: Pools 0 Newcastle 0

Owen is congratulated by James Troisi after making it 2-1 to Newcastle

The Sam Allardyce era got underway at a sunny Victoria Park on Tuesday evening, with what was ultimately a deserved victory for the black and whites.

Playing on a perfect surface and with former Magpies boss Sir Bobby Robson watching from the stand, United lined up in their home kit featuring newly-announced squad numbers but no names.

However, their strike force of Obafemi Martins and Andy Carroll failed to break the deadlock in the opening 45, although they both came close - as did new boy Joey Barton with a diving header.

At the other end Shay Given was hardly troubled, although 'Pools made some headway down the left flank against Kieron Dyer and Stephen Carr, only to be let down by some poor crossing.

A raft of half time changes brought Shola Ameobi and Michael Owen into the action, with the latter not far away from netting with his first touch in the opening seconds.

It was the League One side though who went ahead on 49 minutes, James Brown finding space to latch on to Matty Robson's ball to beat Steve Harper with an angled shot at the far post.

The lead lasted just over five minutes though, before Ameobi took Dyer's through ball and evaded debutant Danish 'keeper Jan Budtz before slipping the ball into an empty net - and ignoring the pleas of Barton to leave it for him to convert.

And before the hour the visitors had the lead, as James Troisi cut in from the right and either sliced a rotten low shot or played a perfect ball infield for Michael Owen to convert.

In what was turning out to be an entertaining contest Pools then forced a corner, which former Magpie Robbie Elliott swung over for Ben Clark with a near post header.

Referee Oliver however spotted some pushing and ruled the goal out - something which didn't deter Harper and Carr from animatedly discussing our positional shortcomings.

Further goals looked likely, Paul Huntington heading over from a Charles N'Zogbia corner and some good work from Shola that created a shooting chance out of nothing.

Newcastle eased further ahead on 72 minutes though, as Troisi again played the ball in for Ameobi to fire home his second of the game - with a significant assist from the Pools 'keeper, who spilled the shot into his own net.

The final stages saw various unfamiliar graduates from our junior and reserve sides get a run out as the clock ran down and we ended the game with nine Academy graduates on the field (Owen and Solano making up the numbers).

So, nothing we really didn't know before: Barton is eager, enthusiastic and looking to impress and David Rozehnal looked decent enough but requires reinforcements round him.

The display of Ameobi was a bonus after such a torrid time with injuries and it was heartening to see him apparently relaxed and enjoying himself ahead of the battle for striking spots this season.

And after the never-ending coverage of club related matters since the Watford away game, it's a relief to have something on the field to write about. 

Welcome back.

Biffa