Thank You Toon - For Lifting The Gloom!

Last updated : 20 July 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor

The players put their off-the-field problems to one side for 90 minutes, and as almost 4,000 fans sang for Alan Shearer, the day just got better and better.

Last season we were playing Valencia, Hertha Berlin and Real Mallorca in pre-season friendlies. This term its Darlo and Huddersfield ... but the lads and lasses were given a goal feast to warm the cockles.

Goals from Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Steven Taylor, Andy Carroll and two from Shola Ameobi eased the Magpies to victory, although, worryingly, Nicky Butt departed early through injury.

Sebastien Bassong was nowhere to be seen, suggesting the fans are right to think he didn't want any part of it.

But he's on his way as soon as Alan Shearer walks through the door to put the world to right, so what difference did it make him giving the Toon fans the two-finger salute.

We'll have to face the new season without the French tart ... so let's start where we mean to continue.

Mike Ashley was there wearing his Toon shirt ... ooops sorry ... that was my mate 'Fat Bastard' from Throckley. Yeah ... I tend to get those two mixed up.

Ashley was NOT there (let's make that clear before the confusion sets in), but it was a shame, because the fans sang some lovely songs about him.

The 3,445 visiting supporters among a crowd of 6,698 made their feelings about him abundantly clear - but I'm sure managing director Derek Llambias (who was there) will pass on the message.

Newcastle took the lead with three minutes gone when Duff latched on to an error by trialist and former Magpie Paul Arnison to slot past keeper Tom Woodhead.

The League Two side were level within three minutes when veteran striker Dean Windass, who had earlier forced a good save from Tim Krul, converted a penalty following Tamas Kadar's trip on Mark Convery.

Nolan restored the visitors' lead with 17 minutes gone when Joey Barton's excellent run into the box handed him the simplest of chances, and Ameobi's neat control allowed him to make it 3-1 from close range 11 minutes later.

Ameobi added a fourth with a fine right-foot finish from a tight angle nine minutes before the break and Gutierrez, one of seven half-time substitutes, made it five within two minutes of the restart with his first goal for the club.

Nick Liversedge replaced Woodhead with 59 minutes gone, but his first touch of the ball came as he picked Taylor's header out of his net and, although Windass pulled one back with 24 minutes remaining, Carroll thumped home Jose Enrique's cross to make it 7-2.

DARLINGTON: Woodhead, Arnison, Lamplough, Plummer, Williams, G Smith, Convery, Lumsdon, Gray, Windass, J Smith. Subs: Starosta, Knight, Miller, Bennett, Riley, Groves, Liversedge, James, Doninger.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Krul (Forster, 46); R Taylor, Beye (Coloccini, 46), S Taylor, Kadar (Enrique, 46); LuaLua (Guthrie, 46), Barton (Butt, 46), Nolan (Xisco, 59), Smith (Donaldson, 59), Duff (Gutierrez, 46); Ameobi (Carroll, 46).