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Senior Stars Set To Face Saints
Written by Newcastle Utd
Alan Pardew has revealed that several first-team players are likely to be involved when a Newcastle XI take on St. Mirren in pre-season
By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Alan Pardew will give a host of senior players game time against Scottish League Cup holders St. Mirren when Newcastle visit Paisley for a pre-season friendly next month.
The fixture was announced on Wednesday as part of the Magpies' under-21 summer schedule, but while some of United's rising stars will be involved, so too will several star names.
Last August, the Magpies beat Hartlepool United 5-1 at Victoria Park as the likes of Curtis Good, Jak Alnwick and Mehdi Abeid were joined by Hatem Ben Arfa, Davide Santon and Steven Taylor and Pardew plans to use a similar blend of youth and experience at St. Mirren Park.
"We thought the Hartlepool game worked well last year," the manager told nufc.co.uk. "It was a chance for us to ease people like Hatem, who had been involved in the European Championships, back into the fold and it was probably one of our best performances of pre-season.
"Sylvain Marveaux got a couple of goals and Shola Ameobi, Haris Vuckic and Gabriel Obertan all scored. By the time the St. Mirren game comes around I'll be starting to formulate my team for the first league match of the season and I see this friendly as an opportunity for some players to try and force their way into my thinking.
"So there'll be a nice mixture for that one, similar to Hartlepool last year, because it's a Scottish Premier League team we're facing and we're expecting a good game there."
Kick-off at St. Mirren Park on Tuesday, 30th July, is 7.30pm and ticket prices are £15 for adults, £8 concessions and £5 for children.