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Newcastle XI 3 Carlisle 1
Written by Newcastle Utd
Siem de Jong made a goalscoring return as a strong Newcastle XI beat Carlisle in a friendly
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
Siem de Jong made a goalscoring return as a strong Newcastle United XI beat Carlisle United 3-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Tuesday.
Mark Beck struck the Cumbrians ahead early on, only for Dutch international de Jong - making his first appearance in nearly five months following a thigh injury - to level almost immediately.
Haris Vuckic and Lubo Satka scored in the second half to secure a win for the Magpies at their Benton-based Training Centre.
De Jong was brought off at half-time in a planned substitution, while winger Gabriel Obertan and midfielder Mehdi Abeid both got almost an hour under their belts after respective thigh and toe injuries.
Newcastle fashioned the first chance of the afternoon on 15 minutes when Gabriel Obertan and Davide Santon combined down the left, with the latter sending a low delivery across the six-yard box which Adam Armstrong was inches away from converting.
And Carlisle raced straight up the other end to break the deadlock, as striker Beck headed Patrick Brough's left-wing cross past goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and into the bottom corner.
The visitors' lead lasted just two minutes, however, as former Ajax schemer de Jong equalised.
It owed much to a crunching tackle on the halfway line from Abeid, who then promptly fed Jonas Gutierrez. When the Argentine skipped in-field and slid a pass in behind the Blues' back-line, de Jong had found space and confidently sidefooted home.
De Jong was looking lively and twice went close to finding the back of the net again, first firing off target at the far post, before being denied one-on-one by Carlisle keeper Dan Hanford, having been picked out again by Gutierrez.
Hanford was called into action again before half-time, saving brilliantly from both Santon and Obertan as the Magpies looked to turn the screw.
They had to wait until the 55th minute to edge in front though, when Slovenian international Vuckic got the final touch at the far post to bundle home a right-wing delivery.
Armstrong then almost got in on the act, striking the foot of the post with an angled drive before seeing Hanford make another fine save, this time to keep out the 17-year-old striker's penalty.
However, Satka put the result beyond any doubt 11 minutes from time when, as Carlisle failed to clear their lines from a corner, the centre-back stayed forward to flick in substitute Jonathyn Quinn's pass.
Newcastle United XI (4-2-3-1): Freddie Woodman; Daniel Barlaser (James Atkinson 76), Callum Williams, Lubomir Satka, Davide Santon; Mehdi Abeid (Dan Ward 59), Haris Vuckic (Gael Bigirimana 73); Gabriel Obertan (Alex Gilliead 59), Siem de Jong (Jonathyn Quinn 46), Jonas Gutierrez; Adam Armstrong (Tom Heardman 82)
Sub not used: Nathan Harker