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Referee:  K.Miller

Teams: 

DCFC: (green & white stripes) Burke, Little, Donkersley, Foster, Keegan, Rowe, Evans (?? 43 mins)  , Skedd, Chandler, Robson, Stewart (Hays 78 mins).  
Subs: Wrightson on for ?? 46 mins, Williams on for ?? 60 mins

NUFC: (normal home kit) Karelse, McGuffie, Caldwell S, Caldwell G, Domi (Kerr 47 mins), Gavilan, Kerr (Green 46 mins), McClen (Hamilton 46 mins), Glass, Coppinger, McMahon. NB: Kerr withdrawn at half time, came back on to replace Domi - no more subs.
Subs n/u: None.

4 mins. Domi's first meaningful contribution was to block an attempted shot by Chandler at the expense of a corner. 
9 mins.  An early warning for Blyth, as a perfectly dispatched Gavilan cross from the right wing evaded the outstretched boot of McMahon by millimetres. Glass eventually test the keeper with a shot that was palmed away for a corner.
10 mins. McMahon again just failing to to touch in another good centre, this time with his head, after Kerr had delivered from the left flank.
11 mins. An opening goal for the visitors after Coppinger gathered the ball on the edge of the area and fired past the 'keeper, who got a glove on the shot but couldn't prevent it going in. 1-0
12 mins. Another attack, another goal, as Kerr and Coppinger burst into the right side of the Blyth area, exchanging passes as they bore down on goal. Kerr supplied the finishing touch past the helpless keeper. 2-0.
13 mins. Goal fever at Croft Park, with McClen haring off down the left wing, before playing a short pass to Domi. His cross was met by Gavilan, who steered a looping header into the corner of the goal from 15 yards. 3-0 
20 mins. A rare moment of Blyth pressure, with Chandler's header being steered away from the goal line by Kerr after Karelse had been stranded on the other side of the goal.
22 mins. Another goal, simply and effectively executed. Glass played the ball over the top of the Blyth rearguard, Coppinger ran through to beat the 'keeper in a 1-1 tussle. 4-0.
23 mins. Almost an instant 6th, as Glass swept down the left wing from the kickoff and found McMahon in the box. He turned and clattered his shot on goal, only to be defied by a great stop from 'keeper Burke.
25 mins. The Blyth offside trap again failed to contain a United break, this time through Gary Caldwell. David McMahon ran on to his through ball and placed an inch-perfect lob into the back of the net that even uncle Bobby applauded. 5-0.
27 mins. Domi left in some discomfort after being whacked on the leg by a home player.
30 mins. Robson for Blyth tried to emulate McMahon with a spectacular lob attempt, but Karelse was alert to the danger.
37 mins. Another treble for Coppinger, as he converted a fine individual goal, a series of deft touches taking him past three men in a Beardsley-esque fashion, before calmly slotting ball into the net from 6 yards out. Worth the admission fee alone, as they used to say... 6-0.
43 mins. A blend of frustration and stupidity saw Nicky Evans hastily substituted, after blatantly stamping on the prostrate figure of Kerr and cursing a number of Newcastle players. With both Caldwells bearing down on him, the Blyth coaching staff shepherded him quickly away to the dressing room.
  
Halftime: Blyth 0 NUFC 6

47 mins Domi limped off to be replaced by Kerr.
48 mins Gary Caldwell almost added to his pre-season tally with a header from a Gavilan freekick, but he sent it the wrong side of the post.
67 mins. After a comparitively uneventful period, when Blyth looked far more solid and organised than before the interval, McMahon dispossessed Foster and headed for goal supported by Hamilton. Crucially however, his pass was overhit and cleared to safety. 
69 mins. Normal service resumed as Gary Caldwell pushed forward into the midifeld and played the ball out to Gavilan, lurking on the right. He in turn supplied the overlapping McGuffie, and his centre was bundled home by McMahon. 7-0
78 mins. McGuffie again made his presence felt down the Newcastle right with another good cross that Coppinger just failed to direct on goal.
81 mins. Another for Coppinger, who had a rudimentary goal poachers finish, after a Gavilan cross and Green shot had been blocked by a mixture of goalkeeper and defender. 8-0
83 mins.  Rounding things off in style was birthday boy Des Hamilton, who hit a sweet and low first-time volley from another McGuffie centre, the ball nestling satisfyingly in the corner of the net. 9-0
84 mins. Stuart Green left the field after treatment on an ankle knock, forcing United to play out the remainder of the game with ten men.
88 mins. The referee brought an early end to proceedings, presumably deciding the home side had suffered enough punishment. 

Final Score: Blyth 0 NUFC 9

Waffle: 

United's second string signed off their pre-season campaign with a crushing defeat of Unibond league Blyth at their own Croft Park home, in front of Bobby Robson and Mick Wadsworth.

Chief tormentor was Coppinger with four more goals to bring his pre-season to 12 (or 13 if he claims the Workington OG), ably supported by his colleagues, who did as they pleased against a defenceless Spartans. In particular, recent signing Ryan McGuffie (playing his third game for us despite "making his debut" according to the Northern Echo) had ample opportunity to gallop forward from right back into his preferred midfield position, and powered over some useful crosses.

As in previous reserve pre-season outings, Gavilan revelled in the acres of space afforded him on the right wing, and looks fresh and full of confidence at present. Despite Solano making a dash back from International duty for Sunday, I can't help but wonder whether the Paraguayan might be a better bet for a wide role.

As for the defence, Domi showed one or two neat touches as he had his first competitive runout since last season, but after being caught by a home player with a stray boot in the first half, lasted only two minutes of the second before limping off and quickly discarding a boot to aid pitchside treatment. While not apparently serious, it doesn't exactly boost ones' confidence in advance of a trip to the League Champions.... 

Of note only to the very pedantic; when Domi limped off, United fielded an all-Scottish back four of McGuffie, Glass and the Caldwells, plus of course Stirling-born Brian Kerr in midfield.

Bring on the Boro.... 

Reserve Pre-season Record (public games):

Scorers:

Biffa