KSC Lokeren 0 Newcastle 4

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

At the Daknamstadion

 

KSC Lokeren 0

Newcastle United 4 (Perez 13, 39 Janmaat 26, Shelvey 48)

 

Newcastle United continued their positive pre-season form with a comprehensive 4-0 friendly victory over KSC Lokeren in Belgium.

Ayoze Perez's brace, either side of a Daryl Janmaat header, put the Magpies firmly in control at the break at the Daknamstadion, before substitute Jonjo Shelvey added a fortunate fourth early in the second half.

And it was no less than the Magpies deserved for a dominant performance in which they looked clinical in the final third and solid defensively.

Perez got the ball rolling in the 13th minute, exchanging passes with Rolando Aarons before providing a near-post finish.

The Spanish starlet then turned provider, curling a free-kick onto the head of Janmaat, who made no mistake. And Perez capped an excellent individual display shortly before half-time, cracking home a brilliant half-volley from 20 yards.

And the scoring was completed in the 48th minute when midfielder Shelvey, who had only just entered the pitch, saw his long-range strike took a huge deflection to find its way in for number four.

Both sides had a man sent off late on following an altercation - Jesus Gamez for the visitors and Marko Miric for Lokeren - but manager Rafa Benitez will be delighted with the performance of his side.

The first shot of the game came in the tenth minute but Gayle dragged his left-footed effort well wide of the far post after good work from Ayoze Perez to create the opening.

But it wasn't long before the Magpies broke the deadlock.

It all started when Isaac Hayden intercepted a pass just inside Lokeren's half and found Perez. The Spaniard then fed Aarons, who got to the byline before picking out Perez at the near post to finish.

The hosts should have equalised almost immediately when Jakson Avelino Coelho rose well to meet Ari Freyr Skulason's inch-perfect left-win delivery.

However, the Brazilian front man sent his close range header down into the turf and over the bar.

Lokeren threatened again in the 23rd minute, this time as Joher Khadim Rassoul sent a fierce 20-yard volley flying not too far over, having been first to meet Jamie Sterry's defensive header.

Janmaat was playing in an unfamiliar attacking role but the Dutch international proved how adept he is in the final third by doubling United's advantage on 26 minutes.

It came from a free-kick, and when Janmaat was picked out by Perez's inswinging deliery he provided an impressive header to guide the ball back across goal and into the bottom corner.

Newcastle goalkeeper Matz Sels had had a relatively quiet afternoon but was called into action just past the half-hour mark and excelled, beating away Marko Miric's close-range drive.

But the visitors were soon back on the front foot and extended their lead even further with six minutes of the first half remaining.

A fine, flowing move involving Sterry, Janmaat, Hayden and Jack Colback looked to have ended when Lokeren cleared their lines to the edge of the area.

However, Perez had other ideas, running onto the loose ball and unleashing a brilliant half-volley that flew past goalkeeper Davino Verhulst.

And it could have been four on the stroke of half-time, when Aarons ran at - and raced past - the home rearguard before sending a low, angled shot inches wide.

The Magpies had to wait just three minutes of the second period before that fourth goal did arrive, and it came via one of three half-time substitutions.

Shelvey pulled the trigger from 25 yards, with his shot taking a huge deflection, looping up and beyond the helpless Verhulst and into the back of the net.

A stunned Lokeren attempted a response but Coelho acrobatically volleyed wide before captain Killian Overmeire was narrowly off target from distance and Miric failed to test Sels from a headed opening.

A raft of changes from both sides slowed things down as the game became a little disjointed. Sels made a couple of comfortable saves from Coelho, while at the other end, Yoan Gouffran was agonisingly close to connecting with Florian Thauvin's reverse pass.

The game was soured slightly in the 88th minute when Gamez and Miric were both shown straight red cards following an altercation after a foul on the Newcastle man.

But that failed to take the shine off an excellent performance and result for the Magpies.

 

KSC Lokeren (3-4-3): Davino Verhulst; Maric Mijat, Joao Carlos, Ingi Sverrir Ingason (Bob Straetman 61); Giorgos Galitsios (Cedric Mingiedi 75), Killian Overmeire (c) (Nikola Jambor 75), Joher Khadim Rassoul (Medhi Terki 46), Ari Freyr Skulason (Mario Ticinovic 61); Marko Miric, Jackson Avelino Coelho (Lowis Mbah Enoh 75), Ayanda Patosi (Branislav Ninaj 61)

Subs not used: Copa Barry Boubacar, Ridwan Gyselinck

 

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels (Karl Darlow 72); Jamie Sterry (Yoan Gouffran 63), Chancel Mbemba (Henri Saivet 72), Jamaal Lascelles (c) (Paul Dummett 63), Vurnon Anita (Jesus Gamez 46); Isaac Hayden (Jonjo Shelvey 46), Jack Colback (Cheick Tiote 72); Daryl Janmaat, Ayoze Perez (Aleksandar Mitrovic 46), Rolando Aarons (Florian Thauvin 63), Dwight Gayle (Adam Armstrong 63)

Subs not used: None

 

Referee: Christof Dierick