Wilson & Fraser in the goals as NUFC treat 3,000 Mags to pre-season win at Doncaster

After an alarming defeat to York City last Sunday, Newcastle United got their pre-season plans back on track with a 3-2 win away to Doncaster Rovers on Friday night.

No signings, no takeover and very little hope heading into the new season, but it was brilliant to see over 3,000 Geordies pack out the away end at the Keepmoat Stadium.

First half goals from Ryan Fraser and Sean Longstaff sent us into the break ahead, with new no.9 Callum Wilson getting his name on the scoresheet in the second half to hand us the win in South Yorkshire.

STARTING 11: (5-2-1-2) – Langley – Murphy, Hayden, Lascelles, Dummett, Lewis – Hendrick, S Longstaff – Fraser – Wilson, Saint-Maximin.

SUBS: Thompson, Clark (70), M. Longstaff (66), Gayle (66), Fernandez (57), Watts (82), Allan (82), McEntee, Young (76), Bondswell (85).

12 minutes on the clock and we were in front through Ryan Fraser – just moments after Jacob Murphy almost opened the scoring with an audacious lob.

After picking up the ball from Jamal Lewis, the former Bournemouth star cut in from the left and curled a right-footed strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. 1-0 Newcastle and a moment the 3,000 strong away end enjoyed after almost 18 months away!

Barely 10 minutes later it was two. Lewis was involved again, feeding Allan Saint-Maximin down the left. The Frenchman went past his man like he wasn’t even there, burst into the box and cut the ball back to Lewis, whose flick across goal was converted by Sean Longstaff to make it 2-0.

Watch both our first-half goals below:

The League One side then pulled one back on the half-hour mark. A long-range strike was deflected and tipped out as a result by young Dan Langley, giving an unmarked Tommy Rowe the chance to poke the ball home into an empty net. 2-1 Newcastle and Doncaster back in it.

A few half-chances fell for Callum Wilson in what remained of the first 45, however it wasn’t quite happening for our £20m man in front of goal. He was a thorn in their side, making good runs and being a real handful, but did initially look a little rusty and like a man who was still brushing the cobwebs off after that season-ending injury.

We went into the break ahead and it had been a good game. We showed an energy we lacked at York and deserved our lead, with ASM a menace and Fraser looking sharp.

The players returned for the second half and Steve Bruce opted against making any changes.

We were sloppy for the next 10 minutes and saw Doncaster dominate possession, however it was soon 3-1 as Callum Wilson put the finishing touches on a flowing Newcastle United counter-attack.

Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy did well down the right and ASM and Hendrick combined well through the middle before Fraser showed his quality to set up Wilson, who did the rest with a calm finish. 3-1 Newcastle and chants of “Super Cal” from the away end!

Watch the goal for yourself below:

Changes then followed. Hayden had a knock and was replaced at the back by Federico Fernandez, while Dwight Gayle, Matty Longstaff and Ciaran Clark came on for Saint-Maximin, Wilson and Dummett as we approached the final 20 minutes.

The game got messy after a host of subs from both sides, although we very nearly saw a stunning goal as Jacob Murphy’s blistering run ended in a shot just wide.

Fraser should’ve made it four but blazed over, and we were punished minutes later as Doncaster pulled a goal back. A dangerous cross came into the box, Omar Bogle broke free of Lascelles and headed past Langley to make it 3-2.

Another change from Steve Bruce arrived, as Morpeth-born midfielder Jack Young replaced Ryan Fraser. The diminutive Scot may have missed a sitter, but with a goal, an assist and a few moments of real quality, it was a promising run out from him.

82 minutes on the clock and it was now Jamaal Lascelles and Jacob Murphy who’d make way, being replaced by Kell Watts and U23 talent Tom Allan before Matt Bondswell replaced Jamal Lewis a few moments later for his first senior appearance since he signed from RB Leipzig earlier this year.

The second half suffered because of the number of changes, but we held on to come away 3-2 winners against a game Doncaster side who’d already played four pre-season matches before tonight.

The following players were not involved in today’s game:

  • Martin Dubravka (injury)
  • Elliot Anderson (injury)
  • Joelinton (injury)
  • Matt Ritchie (injury)
  • Jonjo Shelvey (injury)
  • Javier Manquillo (injury)
  • Yoshinori Muto (illness )
  • Karl Darlow (COVID-19)
  • Freddie Woodman (self-isolating)
  • Mark Gillespie (self-isolating)
  • Miguel Almiron (extended break after Copa America)
  • Emil Krafth (extended break after Euros)
  • Fabian Schar (extended break after Euros)

Next up, a trip to Rotherham next Tuesday!

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

32 thoughts on “Wilson & Fraser in the goals as NUFC treat 3,000 Mags to pre-season win at Doncaster

  1. So, we won 3-2… that’s us ok for the season then. No need for new signings… ?

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  2. Gilly – you know I always try to take positives mate, but friendlies against York & Donny – I struggle… but here we go.

    I think it’s good that Ryan Fraser is getting game time coz I think he is better than how we’ve used him so far. I’m not going to use the **** line of ‘he’ll be like a new signing’ – but we need to find a way of using him more.

    Good on Sean scoring tonight as well. He looked a great prospect before his injury. We need midfielders & it would be good to see him come good again ??

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  3. Sharpy17:
    Gilly – you know I always try to take positives mate, but friendlies against York & Donny – I struggle… but here we go.

    I think it’s good that Ryan Fraser is getting game time coz I think he is better than how we’ve used him so far.I’m not going to use the **** line of ‘he’ll be like a new signing’ – but we need to find a way of using him more.

    Good on Sean scoring tonight as well.He looked a great prospect before his injury.We need midfielders & it would be good to see him come good again ??

    Agree with you on all of that mate.

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  4. I have to be fair with him, Bruce sounded frustrated & disappointed with the prospect of trying to sign players this summer.
    Regardless of what you might think of him, every manager wants the chance to sign players & strengthen their squad – and Bruce will be no different. But knowing he’s going to be heavily dependent on loans and freebies can’t be fun – especially when he knows there will be a section of the fans blaming him if we don’t start well this season.

    I know some people think ‘why not sack Bruce and get Lampard or Howe’ – but do you think they would come in to work with that??? – would anyone of any calibre?!.

    Shift Bruce and we’d end up with Mark Hughes or Tony Pullis or someone equally uninspiring.

    I think we may end up with 3 in, but it will be at the end of the window when other clubs have done their business & are ready to let their players go.
    Hate to say it, but a good window for us will be if we still have players like ASM and Almiron at the end of it.

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  5. Charlie Bennett: you want us to sign Jonjo Shelvey with hair? Ross Barkley… He has 1 good game in 5 like Jonjo does. Welcome to The Champioship if this happens.

    We need Willock or similar. We already have a number 10 in Almiron if Bruce would play him there.

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  6. I am going to repeat myself because the thread changed – sign Willock and I think we are 15th. Dont sign Willock and we are 19th and relegated. Even a fool like Bruce must know he was our best midfielder last year!!!

    Ideally we need a striker but I am not as down on Gayle as most people seem to be.

    Lewis and Fraser cannot possibly be as bad as they were last year.

    I still dont know what to make of Sean Longstaff. He’s probably shyte and had 5 decent games and will fade away. Bruce doesnt seem to care for his brother and since we are stuck with Bruce it isnt really worth thinking about. Loan him out and see what a better manager can do with him. Loan him to the Mackems or Boro or Huddersfield.

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  7. Eric:
    I am going to repeat myself because the thread changed – sign Willock and I think we are 15th. Dont sign Willock and we are 19th and relegated. Even a fool like Bruce must know he was our best midfielder last year!!!

    Ideally we need a striker but I am not as down on Gayle as most people seem to be.

    Lewis and Fraser cannot possibly be as bad as they were last year.

    I still dont know what to make of Sean Longstaff. He’s probably shyte and had 5 decent games and will fade away. Bruce doesnt seem to care for his brother and since we are stuck with Bruce it isnt really worth thinking about. Loan him out and see what a better manager can do with him. Loan him to the Mackems or Boro or Huddersfield.

    Eric – I think Bruce knows that & knows that Willock & ASM linked up brilliantly so not only do we get an excellent midfielder in Willock but also a better ASM.

    I have no issues with the players we are being linked with – all with PL experience & all with something to prove. The problem Bruce has is the clubs these players are at won’t allow them to leave til they have done their business & we don’t have a budget to force it.

    We may get 3 or 4 in, but it will be at the end of the window – not because Bruce or Charnley aren’t trying, but because all the force was on the takeover & now they have a tiny budget – it stinks, but it’s not their fault ??‍♂️

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  8. If Bruce is after Choudhury as well as Willock it tells you he has just about given up on the Longstaffs and Hendrick. I saw nothing from Sean to suggest he is a PL player last year and Matty was mainly in the stands. They can both ping a pass and have a decent shot but they are soooo slow. You cannot have them and Shelvey in the same team, and Brucie likes Jonjo. They had their names carved on a tree near SJP inside a heart.

    #BrucieLovesJonjo

    That’s the problem with Sean. Other managers have sussed his lack of pace and target that now. They have players run at and past him now and he ends up making lunges. I think he has some skills but he needs to play in the Jonjo role with pace along side of him. I really doubt that will happen and we may as well just forget about him. If he wasnt a local lad, there would have been a lot more criticism of him based on performances. Did he really do that much better than Hendrick last year, who got a lot of stick?

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  9. Good article Georgio. My mother was over here in Chicago on Sept 11 and I had taken a few days off work. I watched it on morning TV and nobody knew what was going on. They didnt know where the next targets might be. Chicago has a few iconic buildings and I worked in one of them – The Wrigley Building – imortalized by Sinatra in the song “My Kinda Town”. I called the office manager and said she needed to get home and away from downtown. Remember this wasnt long after the Oklahoma bombing so there was speculation there could be car bombs as well.

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  10. thanks for the comments on my story lads. Greatly appreciated.

    I’m not sold on the Choudhury rumours or Tuanzebe. We have a midtable squad already.

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  11. georgio:
    thanks for the comments on my story lads. Greatly appreciated.

    I’m not sold on the Choudhury rumours or Tuanzebe. We have a midtable squad already.

    Georgio – they would never be first choice picks mate, but where we are and the budget we are working with, I think experience in English football is key. I don’t think we can afford foreign players taking time to settle in.
    I think both players are of an age now where they will be looking for a club to play regular first team football & Willocks loan last season has probably shown lads like that we are a club where you can show what you’ve got.

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  12. Now it’s Phil Jones and Ross Barkley. The speculating just grinds on and on with nothing exciting. Same every summer.

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  13. georgio:
    Now it’s Phil Jones and Ross Barkley. The speculating just grinds on and on with nothing exciting. Same every summer.

    Yeah I can’t say I’d be thrilled with either of those like – both have had their chances & their careers look to be fizzling out now – Jones reminds me of Steven Taylor, rarely comfortable or confident and always a last gasp challenge. Barkley had his chance to show what he could do with Villa last season & looked out of his depth still.

    I’d rather have any of the younger players over these 2.

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  14. KIMTOON:
    So now the CAT case will be delayed too. YCMIU

    Until the end of September. Keith Patterson on Wraith’s show was acting like the delay in the arbitration was some Baldrikian cunning plan to get ammunition for the arb case and getting the CAT case taken care of would help the cause. I said on here, there and then, that the guy is an idiot. That delaying the Arb case would push this back to next summer and that I was 90% certain the Saudis would walk. Well, now the CAT case has been delayed 2 months and this so called expert, Patterson, has egg on his face again.

    These “In-The-Knows” know nothing and have proven it again and again.

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  15. This takeover is a dead duck. I said it last week and I am even more certain now. The Fatman might get some cash if he wins the CAT case but this would still be delayed until next summer at the earliest. By then, the Saudis will be gone.

    I dont know if anybody read my rants about this last week but I said it then. I also wondered why there was the big PR push by Stavely and Co. There are supposedly all of these high powered lawyers batting for Ashley so surely they should have given Fatty, and by implication Stavely, a heads up?

    No, we are stuck with Brucie and NO BUDGET. With the Saudi rug pulled from under him I am not even sure if Ashley will care anymore and certainly wont stump up the funds for Willock.

    This is a sad day for NUFC. We might just about have the squad to stay up if everybody stays fit and last years additions play better. I mean Fraser and Lewis. But I am leaning towards 19th if there are no additions.

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  16. KIMTOON:
    So now the CAT case will be delayed too. YCMIU

    Kim – have they given a reason – saying as we are so desperate for transparency.

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  17. What is rather puzzling and really frustrating actually is this consortium seems to have the wealth without with Saudis to be able to buy NUFC if IF they really wanted the club. Once in place they could always introduce the Saudis further down the line when all this nonsense is sorted – or am I simplifying things here?!

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  18. Jesus we are a shi.t team. Cannot even beat Rotherham! Willock may be off somewhere else a d we are linked with Phil Jones ???. OMFG we are scraping the bottom of the barrel… I think next season is when we go down…

    ASM will be off too with our total lack of ambition!

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  19. Sharpy17: Kim – have they given a reason – saying as we are so desperate for transparency.

    not that i’m aware of mate, was hoping a date for the hearing would get sorted this month.

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  20. KIMTOON:
    Gilly, I can see ASM leaving in the jan window now Willocks not coming in.

    Yeah I think he’ll go, and who can blame him! Only question is, this window or next. ??

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