Tuesday 17th July 2007
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Lee-Barrett (Budtz 46), McCunnie, Clark, Antwi, Robson (Monkhouse 63), Gibb (Brown 46), Liddle (Turnbull 84), Sweeney (Bullock 68), Humphreys (Elliott 46), Porter (Moore 46), Mackay (Barker 46).
Michael Owen's First Goal In 19 Months!
Tuesday 17th July 2007
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Lee-Barrett (Budtz 46), McCunnie, Clark, Antwi, Robson (Monkhouse 63), Gibb (Brown 46), Liddle (Turnbull 84), Sweeney (Bullock 68), Humphreys (Elliott 46), Porter (Moore 46), Mackay (Barker 46).
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given (Harper 46); Carr (Lough 74), Ramage (Francis 89), Rozehnal (Solano 46), Huntington; Dyer (Pattison 64), Butt (Troisi 46), Barton (LuaLua 75), N'Zogbia (Bertram 75); Carroll (Ameobi 46), Martins (Owen 46).
Attendance: 6,030.
Both managers described the event as a "run out", and thankfully that was the mood of the game. Unlike the day Kevin Keegan took his stars to Hartlepool back in 1993 and it turned into a kicking match.
The headlines are sure to reflect on Michael Owen's first goal for Newcastle in 19 months and a winning start for new boss Sam Allardyce.
It is only a friendly and no-one ever takes much from it, but I wonder how Allardyce felt when the League One side took the lead through James "I Feel Good" Brown.
Newcastle started with Oba Martins and Andy Carroll up front and the two new boys Joey Barton and David Rozehnal making their unofficial debuts.
Barton marked his debut with a positive performance while David Rozehnal helped steady the Newcastle ship.
Hartlepool showed no fear, their players were out to enjoy the evening and perhaps catch the eye. And Antony Sweeney tested Shay Given in the fourth minute to show they weren't going to spend the 90 minutes asking for autographs.
Martins seemed certain to find the back of the net when Charles N'Zogbia found the perfect pass that cut through the Pool defence, but the goalkeeper made a superb save.
Both Carroll and Barton also saw efforts blocked. Within seconds of the restart Owen found himself one-on-one with the keeper but came off second best.
Within five minutes Hartlepool shocked the Premiership side when Matty Robson's miss-hit shot found Brown and the winger drilling a powerful shot past Steve Harper.
Seven minutes later Kieron Dyer put Ameobi through to step around the helpless Budtz and roll the ball into the net.
In the 58th minute James Troisi found Owen who placed the ball past Budtz to make it 2-1.
Hartlepool thought they were back in it when Ben Clark appeared to have headed an 61st-minute equaliser, but his effort was chalked off for a foul.
Ameobi undid all of Budtz's great work when his shot caught the Scandinavian off guard and the 'keeper allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp to give Newcastle the match.