Half time: United 0 United 0

60mins Carroll shot at the West end of the ground 1-0

84mins Goodwillie penalty in front of the Eddie Thompson (East) stand 1-1

 
Newcastle's final pre-season warm up took them to Scotland on Sunday afternoon, as they supplied the opposition for Dundee United's centenary celebrations. Inevitably the death of Sir Bobby Robson overshadowed the event, with a pre-match ovation from both sets of supporters and repeated renditions of "....Robson wonderland" from the sizeable travelling contingent.

Played in sunny conditions, the first half was almost completely forgettable, with Newcastle taking 40 minutes to fashion a chance - when Andy Carroll tested 'keeper Stevie Banks with a header from Damien Duff's cross.

Within a minute Joey Barton stepped forward and tried his luck with a shot that Banks diverted for a corner, which was then promptly wasted in typical Newcastle style.

The second half showed some improvement in tempo and organisation - with the visitors belatedly seeming to clear up evident confusion over what system they were playing and who had responsibility for marking who etc. 

An opening goal came on the hour, as Duff's cross from the right found Carroll at the far post and he challenged the 'keeper, reacting first to take possession when the ball dropped loose, before swiping it into the unguarded net. Within five minutes the home side were handed a great opportunity to level the game, when referee Chris Boyle penalised Kevin Nolan for a handball in the area.

Former Berwick Rangers midfielder Danny Swanson took the spot kick, but Steve Harper guessed right and blocked his effort, with the rebound passing wide of his goal.

The Magpies should have doubled their lead on 70 minutes when Barton broke clear and bore down on goal, but Banks defied him and watched Carroll fail to direct the rebound on target from a tight angle.

Urged on by their fans, the home side pressed on for a goal and were rewarded after another favourable decision from referee Boyle, who spotted Ryan Taylor's tug out by the byline on Craig Conway on 84 minutes. David Goodwillie was entrusted with spot kick duties this time and duly converted, sending Harper the wrong way.

A game which was becoming increasingly fractious then saw a flare-up on the halfway line which resulted in Damien Duff's apparent dismissal for an unseen offence. However it rapidly became clear that the referee had "suggested" that Duff be immediately substituted and Geremi appeared in his place for the closing seconds. 

Kevin Nolan then almost supplied a late winner, only for Banks to make the save of the match to claw away a shot that was destined for the top corner of the net.

Newcastle handed a debut to their new third kit of black & blue stripes, modelled here by Joey Barton. It was later confirmed that due to a colour clash with the home side, the usual black shorts and blue/black socks for this kit weren't worn at Tannadice.

While an improvement on the uninspiring display in their last outing against Leeds, this performance however still gave little cause for optimism going into Saturday's opener.

Carroll may have battled hard, but the Tangerines defence became the latest side to work out and nullify the threat of Gutierrez - again overshadowed by Jose Enrique in terms of meaningful forward runs. If you're looking for a one word summary of this display, 'unconvincing' would seem to fit the bill nicely. However there's still Shola to add in to this lot - lucky us. 

The absence of Sebastien Bassong and Fabricio Coloccini saw Chris Hughton pair Steven Taylor with Tamas Kadar in central defence. Ryan Taylor meanwhile appeared at right back, with Habib Beye back in Paris to see a specialist regarding a nagging hip problem.

Chris Hughton confirmed after the game that Bassong hadn't featured due to his being suspended for next Saturday's opening league game. Whether he's actually still a Newcastle player by then is a moot point.....

Biffa