COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)
Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.
Shola Amoebi scored in the first half and Fabricio Coloccini and Haris Vukcic added goals in the second half as Newcastle United won their first game of the tour on American soil.
Amoebi put Newcastle up 1-0 in the ninth minute. Coloccini scored in the 53rd minute following a corner that deflected off two Crew players and Vukcic added the third in stoppage time.
The Crew entered the match without starting goalkeeper William Hesmer because of injury and back-up keeper Andy Gruenebaum was sent off in the 45th minute for handling the ball outside the penalty area as he slid to stop a break.
Ameobi and Ba were lively up front, and Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor largely untroubled at the back.
James Tavernier, starting at right-back with Danny Simpson back in England after the birth of his child, rampaged up the flank throughout the first half, and midfielder Dan Gosling looked sharper and fitter.
Gosling – whose guile will be needed in the coming season – almost created a first goal for summer signing Ba with a clever backheel, but the striker couldn’t make the most of the opportunity.
Still, the three goals were reward enough for United’s fans after the games in Kansas and Florida.
And with Joey Barton and Yohan Cabaye to be added to the squad for Sunday’s visit to Leeds United, the gloom that had darkened the middle part of the trip has now lifted.