Hartlepool v Newcastle: Key Moments

By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Hartlepool United 1 (Sweeney 62)
Newcastle United 5 (Ameobi 3, Marveaux 4, 12 pen, Vuckic 53, Obertan 85)

SECOND HALF UPDATES

90+2mins: Full-time here at Victoria Park and it's finished 5-1 to the Magpies, who dominated throughout. It's been a good workout for Alan Pardew's side ahead of next weekend's trip to Cardiff.

90mins: There will be two minutes of stoppage time - not much considering all the changes but Hartlepool will be quite happy to get this game over with now.

89mins: More good work from Obertan sees him skip down the right and cut the ball back for Tavernier, whose goalbound low shot is blocked by a Pools defender.

87mins: Pools bring on Ben Wignall for former Middlesbrough youngster Jonathan Franks.

85mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-5): 'We can see you sneaking out,' sing the Newcastle fans as the home ends begin to empty following United's fifth. Obertan has been lively since coming on and when the ball was worked out wide to him, the ex-Manchester United man rifled home from 18 yards for his first goal of the summer and a deserved one at that.

84mins: Jak Alnwick is handed his senior bow for United, replacing Steve Harper. The young keeper spent part of last season on loan at Gateshead and has played for England at youth level.

80mins: Davide Santon, United's last remaining outfield substitute, comes on for the superb Romain Amalfitano.

78mins: There'll be no hat-trick for Marveaux as he's given a well-earned rest, with Gabriel Obertan coming on in his place.

75mins: A double change for the hosts, with highly-rated youngster Luke James making way for James Poole and long-serving wideman Andy Monkhouse replaced by rotund former Sunderland youngster Nathan Luscombe.

73mins: Curtis Good comes on for Danny Simpson for his senior bow, while Ryan Taylor replaces James Perch.

70mins: Tavernier sets up Gosling for an effort on the edge of the area and although it looks like it's going wide, it hits off a blue and white shirt to send it looping goalwards and Flinders is relieved to see the ball drop just over the bar.

67mins: Former Carlisle midfielder Paul Murray is on for Simon Walton in Pools' second change of the night.

62mins - HARTLEPOOL GOAL (1-4): Abeid's first action was to somewhat harshly be penalised for a supposed foul on the edge of the box and from the resulting free-kick, Antony Sweeney forced home despite appeals for offside from the Magpies defence.

60mins: Mehdi Abeid replaces the industrious Gael Bigirimana on the hour mark. Meanwhile, tonight's crowd is 4,802 - with 2,503 from Newcastle, meaning the Toon Army have made up more than half of the crowd for an away game.

59mins - A wonderful pass from Amalfitano finds his compatriot Marveaux, who for the second time is denied the matchball by Flinders who makes a good block. The ball runs loose for Vuckic, who tees up Gosling, but his shot is deflected wide. 

53mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-4): The two subs combine for United's fourth. Ben Arfa went on a trademark run through the centre and tried to play in Amalfitano on the right; his ball was intercepted, though, but fell kindly for Vuckic, who anticipated well and lofted over the stranded Flinders with a lovely finish. He got a couple of goals last pre-season having netted at Carlisle the year before, and now he's off the mark this summer too.

51mins: Ben Arfa so nearly gets a goal on his return after lovely link-up from Amalfitano and Vuckic. The pair combined down the left with Vuckic cutting in and drilling a low effort which cannoned off a Pools defender and straight to the Frenchman, who took his time but was thwarted by Flinders from ten yards.

46mins: Hatem Ben Arfa is on for his first run-out this pre-season, while Haris Vuckic has also entered the fray. Steven Taylor and the injured Ameobi are the men who make way, with Vuckic playing as the main striker and Ben Arfa seemingly playing just behind him, with Gosling dropping deeper. Pools meanwhile bring on Darren Holden at left-back for Evan Horwood.  

FIRST HALF UPDATES

45+1mins: Referee Webb's whistle blows and it's been a comfortable evening so far, with the only concern a knock to Ameobi. The striker had given United the lead inside three minutes before Marveaux grabbed two, once from close-range and once from the penalty spot, and although there have been no further goals since Newcastle flew out of the blocks inside the opening 15 minutes, this has been convincing stuff from the Magpies against a side previously undefeated this summer.

45mins: There'll be a minimum of one minute of added time at the end of half.

44mins: The excellent Ameobi's evening may well be over as, following a seemingly innocuous challenge in the centre-circle, he limps towards the touchline and then down the tunnel. With only one minute left of the half, Alan Pardew won't rush into a change and United are currently down to ten men.

37mins: The game had gone quiet, with several Newcastle fans turning their attention to some light-hearted banter with Sky Sports' David Craig who is sitting in the press box at the back of the away section, but it suddenly bursts into life with first Howard stabbing just wide for Pools against the side he supported as a boy and then Gosling heading agonisingly off target from Simpson's right-wing delivery. The Magpies still lead 3-0 and look liable to add more.

24mins: Marveaux's clever reverse pass found Danny Simpson on the right and the full-back's deep cross was headed over by Ameobi, who is bullying Hartlepool tonight. A couple of minutes earlier, Steve Howard had sent a header too close to Harper but it really has been one-way traffic until now.

20mins: Only a decent tip around the post from Flinders spares the blushes of ex-Sunderland youngster Peter Hartley as he tries to defend Tavernier's searching cross only to head towards his own goal. Fortunately for him, his goalkeeper bails him out at the expense of a corner, which Pools manage to clear.

17mins: Marveaux is denied a hat-trick by Flinders' legs as he bursts into the box and onto James Tavernier's clever through-ball. Newcastle are running riot here against a Pools side who are unbeaten in pre-season and who overcame Sunderland earlier this month.

15mins: Steve Harper is making a return to one of his old stomping grounds, having spent time on loan with Pools when he was younger, and he is tested for the first time tonight as former Leeds man Simon Walton tries his luck from distance only to see Harper easily gather the ball. At the other end, Amalfitano makes another telling contribution with an accurate cross from the right which Ameobi heads straight at Flinders.

12mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-3): Current Magpies player Paul Dummett and his former team-mate Greg McDermott are in the away end here and they must be enjoying what they're seeing as United make it three. Amalfitano dinked the ball into the box and Ameobi, for the second time tonight, got to the ball ahead of Flinders, this time being fouled and forcing referee David Webb to point to the spot. Marveaux stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way and get his second of the match.

10mins: Ameobi is causing all kinds of problems for Pools and after a lovely bit of skill, he digs out a cross towards Gosling, who is looking to get into the box at every opportunity tonight. His first-time effort bounces up off the turf and gives Flinders something to think about but the keeper is able to hold onto it.

9mins: United have the ball in the net for a third time but this time, much to the home side's relief, it doesn't count. Amalfitano's clever ball is finished off by Gosling but the England under-21 international was just offside.

4mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-2): Literally straight from the restart, United regain possession and Ameobi races onto a long ball through the left-hand channel. He beats Pools keeper Scott Flinders to the ball and sends the ball into the box with a cross-cum-shot which Sylvain Marveaux is waiting to convert. Somehow, he hits the post with his first effort from four yards but it falls straight back to his feet to allow the midfielder to score his first goal for Newcastle.

3mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-1): Shola Ameobi has given Newcastle the lead with a beautifully worked goal inside the opening three minutes. James Tavernier's pass to Dan Gosling saw the ex-Everton man send a raking ball out to Romain Amalfitano on the right and the Frenchman's low cross was stabbed home from six yards by skipper for the night Ameobi.

1min: After a rendition of Rolf Harris' Two Little Boys - Hartlepool's unofficial anthem - over the Victoria Park tannoy, the hosts get us underway kicking from left to right. Newcastle are in their new burgundy away kit, with Pools in blue and white stripes. The Magpies are backed by a vocal travelling support.

Hartlepool United (4-4-2): Scott Flinders; Neil Austin (c), Peter Hartley, Jack Baldwin, Evan Horwood (Darren Holden 46); Jonathan Franks (Ben Wignall 87), Simon Walton (Paul Murray 67), Antony Sweeney, Andy Monkhouse (Nathan Luscombe 75); Luke James (James Poole 75), Steve Howard

Subs not used: Ryan Tuck

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Steve Harper (Jak Alnwick 84); Danny Simpson (Curtis Good 73), Steven Taylor (Hatem Ben Arfa 46), Mike Williamson, James Tavernier; James Perch (Ryan Taylor 73), Gael Bigirimana (Mehdi Abeid 60); Romain Amalfitano (Davide Santon 80), Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux (Gabriel Obertan 78); Shola Ameobi (c) (Haris Vuckic 46)

Subs not used: None

Referee: David Webb

Attendance: 4,802