GILLINGHAM 0 NEWCASTLE 1
GILLINGHAM
30. Stephen Bywater
2. Matt Fish
6. Leon Legge
5. Kortney Hause
4. John Egan
20. Callum Davies
8. Jake Hessenthaler
23. Bradley Dack
18. Josh Pritchard 46'
9. Danny Kedwell 65'
10. Cody McDonald 65'
Subs
11. Jermaine McGlashan
12. Glenn Morris
14. Antonio German 65'
15. Aaron Morris 46'
19. Luke Norris 65'
24. Brennan Dickenson
31. Gavin Hoyte
NEWCASTLE
1. Tim Krul
22. Daryl Janmaat
2. Fabricio Coloccini
27. Steven Taylor
19. Massadio Haidara
7. Moussa Sissoko
30. Mehdi Abeid
25. Gabriel Obertan
10. Siem de Jong 68'
16. Rolando Aarons 60'
29. Emmanuel Riviere 86'
Subs
8. Vurnon Anita
11. Yoan Gouffran 86'
15. Facundo Ferreyra
17. Ayoze Perez 68'
20. Remy Cabella 60'
21. Rob Elliot
36. Paul Dummett
Alan Pardew said he would put out a strong side, and apart from question marks against Obertan and Abeid (I am still far from convinced about the pair of them) he did what he said.
Tim Krul is a million miles better than Rob Elliot, and the confidence spreads from the back. Why Pardew sold Fraser Forster to bring in Elliot is something we will never know.
But the worry over lack of fire power at Premier League level spilt over to lower league standards too, because United once again fluffed their lines in the last third of the pitch.
It too an ex-Mackem (God bless him), to avoid extre time and the pressure it puts on the players who will play on Saturday.
John Egan's own-goal gifted misfiring Newcastle their first victory of the new season, even though it was only against Gillingham.
Gillingham centre-back Egan put through his own net to end Newcastle's 203-minute goalless start to the new season.
Newcastle were rarely threatened by the toothless hosts, but Pardew's men were almost as blunt in attack themselves.
Newcastle's first goal of the new campaign came from Gabriel Obertan's dangerous low cross which forced Egan to put through his own net.
This unconvincing victory will do little to ease pressure on Pardew, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
Summer signing Siem de Jong - supposedly the new Yohan Cabaye -made his full debut but was largely ineffective playing off lone frontman Emmanuel Riviere.
Neither French striker Riviere nor Dutch playmaker De Jong seemed comfortable leading the line, and if ever there is a need for a number nine who will produce 20 goals a season ... it's now!
There is no hero in this squad. No Shearer, Sir Les, Ba, or even a Loic Remy.
And unless Pardew puts that right with summer signing number ten, it could come back and haunt him.
Connor Wickham is eight miles down the road, wants to come to Tyneside, and £6m will get him. So why doesn't Pardew make the move? Apparently "you get more for your money abroad".
Yoan Gouffran was unable to break the deadlock in Saturday's clash at Villa, and the rearranged frontline fared little better at Gillingham.
The whole ground stood for an applause tribute to John Alder and Liam Sweeney in the 17th minute, the two Newcastle fans who died in the MH17 plane crash.
The two sets of fans had scant else to toast, with Newcastle failing to hit the target in the first 20 minutes.
Cody McDonald appealed for a penalty underFabricio Coloccini challenge, but Colo timed his tackle perfectly to snuff out Gillingham's solitary attack of the half.
Obertan and full debutant Rolando Aarons exploited the space behind Gillingham's wing-backs and that was where the goal came from.
There was wasteful passing from Mehdi Abeid and De Jong as the visitors were content to knock the ball around in front of Gillingham's two banks of four.
A thunderbolt 25-yard blast from Massadio Haidara rattled the crossbar in United's only real effort on goal.
De Jong ought to have sneaked in to double Newcastle's lead, but his lack of sharpness again shone through as he hung off and watched the chance drift by.
Gillingham's only real chance was Luke Norris's rasping 20-yard drive that Krul had to turn over the bar.