Bohemian 0 Newcastle 6

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

At Dalymount Park, Dublin

 

Bohemian FC 0

Newcastle United 6 (Ritchie 15, Mitrovic 30 pen, Gayle 52, Thauvin 55, Aarons 59, Wijnaldum 75)

 

Newcastle United opened their pre-season account with a 6-0 friendly victory at Bohemian on Saturday.

The Magpies had six different scorers - Matt Ritchie, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dwight Gayle, Florian Thauvin, Rolando Aarons and Georginio Wijnaldum - on a comfortable afternoon at Dalymount Park, in Dublin.

Summer signing Ritchie got the ball rolling in the 15th minute, planting a superb effort into the top corner on his first appearance for the Club and Mitrovic added to the tally on the half-hour mark, winning and converting a penalty.

United had impressed in the first half but cut loose in the second period, scoring three goals in seven minutes to put the game out of the Bohs' reach.

Gayle hooked home acrobatically, Thauvin tapped home and then the excellent Aarons deservedly found the back of the net from just inside the area.

And there was still time for one more as last season's leading scorer Wijnaldum fired calmly into the roof of the net.

Manager Rafa Benitez will be delighted with the performance of his side, who played some eye-catching football, and it brought a positive conclusion to United's week-long Irish training camp.

Less than two minutes were on the clock when Ritchie had United's first chance of the afternoon.

As Jack Colback wriggled away from a couple of challenges on the right-hand side of the penalty area, he dinked a cross into Rolando Aarons, who intelligently chested down into the path of Ritchie.

The summer signing stuck his effort first time but was denied by a fine block.

Bohemian responded but Mark Quigley's ambitious 30-yard free-kick was comfortably dealt with by another new boy, Matz Sels.

It wasn't long before the Magpies were on the front foot again, however, with Mitrovic nodding Yoan Gouffran's right-wing delivery narrowly off target.

And in the 15th minute they broke the deadlock through Ritchie.

Receiving Jamie Sterry's pass inside a crowded penalty box there seemed little on but the former Bournemouth winger had other ideas, picking his spot and bending a glorious effort into the far top corner.

It was almost two minutes later, as Aarons stabbed inches wide via the slightest of deflections, after Ritchie had been thwarted by Bohs keeper Shane Supple.

A set-piece looked to be the hosts' most-likely route back into the game and captain Dave Mulcahy was agonisingly close to connecting with an inswinging free-kick as he slid in at the far post.

Quigley wasn't quite so close when he fired a free-kick over the wall but also out of the ground. and that United promptly made them pay - racing up the other end to double their advantage.

It came via the penalty spot, with Mitrovic tumbling under the challenge of Supple, and the big Serbian striker picked himself up to tuck home into the bottom corner.

Aarons threatened to add to the Magpies' tally with hal-time approaching but, having skipped inside full-back Dylan Hayes, his shot was straight at Supple. 

If that one was simple for Supple, the former Ipswich goalkeeper displayed his best in the 44th minute, getting down well to his left to claw behind another Ritchie strike that was destined for the bottom corner.

Rafa Benitez made six changes at half-time and one of those, Gayle, came within a lick of paint of opening his account.

The former Crystal Palace striker had been on the pitch less than four minutes when he fired a drive past Supple, only to see it crash back off the upright.

Another substitute, Ayoze Perez, was then denied by the goalkeeper but on 52 minutes Newcastle finally bagged their third of the afternoon.

And it was that man Gayle, acrobatically hooking home after a deep corner had been kept alive by Perez and Mitrovic.

There was no let-off from the visitors and just two minutes later it was four, this time Thauvin left with a simple tap-in at the far post after a brilliant run and cross from Aarons.

The game hadn't even reached the hour mark when Aarons deservedly got himself on the scoresheet, applying a fine, low finish from 15 yards for the Magpies' fifth.

Paul Dummett and Wijnaldum were introduced from the bench and midway through the second period the latter made it 6-0, jinking through the Bohemain defence and keeping his composure when one-on-one to fire into the roof of the net.

With time running out Jonjo Shelvey volley narrowly wide from 20 yards, while Perez saw an effort saved by Supple, but they were unable to further add to their tally before the final whistle.

 

Bohemian (4-4-2): Shane Supple; Dylan Hayes, James Kavanagh, Dave Mulcahy (c), Jason Caffrey; Marco Chindea, Keith Buckley, Ian Morris, Ryan Gradon; Mark Quigley, Ismahil Akinade

Substitutes: Dan Mann, Dylan O'Connor, Jake Kelly, Jamie Hollywood, Ayman Ben Mohamed, Scott Lawless, Cian Flynn

 

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels (Karl Darlow 46); Jamie Sterry (Daryl Janmaat 46), Chancel Mbemba (Isaac Hayden 46), Jamaal Lascelles (c) (Jesus Gamez 76), Vurnon Anita (Georginio Wijnaldum 69); Henri Saivet (Cheick Tiote 76), Jack Colback (Jonjo Shelvey 46); Matt Ritchie (Florian Thauvin 46), Yoan Gouffran (Ayoze Perez 49), Rolando Aarons (Paul Dummett 61); Aleksandar Mitrovic (Dwight Gayle 46)

Subs not used: None

 

Bookings: Bohemian - none; Newcastle United - Sterry (26)