ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic made his first appearance in a Newcastle United shirt but League Two side York City spoiled his night by winning at Bootham Crescent.
The Magpies – who were watched from the stands by skipper Fabricio Coloccini despite speculation surrounding his future - started well enough, passing the ball around crisply and creating a couple of half chances which Siem de Jong and the £14m man from Anderlecht failed to convert.
But as soon as York attacked with purpose down the right, a youthful Newcastle team found themselves two goals down inside 20 minutes courtesy of some slack defending. Spaniard Ayoze Perez did pull one back in the closing stages for the Premier League club.
It was hardly the night Steve McClaren, the head coach, had been looking for even if he had made ten changes to that which started the weekend friendly 2-2 draw at Sheffield United.
Mitrovic, who got in the right areas to trouble York a little more after the restart, was pretty much a bystander in the opening period and a frustrated one at that when the Minstermen grabbed the opening two goals inside four first half minutes.
Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic during the Pre-Season Friendly match at Boothman Crescent, York. Picture: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire
The first arrived from a cross down the right from Marvin McCoy which was turned over goalkeeper Karl Darlow by Anthony Straker, who had been allowed to coast unmarked in to the box.
Then Reece Thompson, a trialist who had tried to impress Barnsley earlier this summer, did his bit to earn a deal with York when he cut inside from the right before drilling a lovely shot from the edge of the box inside Darlow’s top right corner.
The double clearly annoyed McClaren and he left his seat in the stand temporarily to bark out some fresh orders. There was little change, however, before the end of the half, with York’s former Hartlepool keeper Scott Flinders hardly tested.
Newcastle United's manager Steve McClaren during the Pre-Season Friendly. Picture: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire
Rolando Aarons - who had to hobble off with an injury in the second half - looked full of purpose and he headed against the bar shortly before half-time from Mehdi Abeid’s corner, but York held on to the two-goal cushion for the remainder of the half and McClaren demanded more after the restart.
Flinders was then on hand to make a brilliant save low to his right to deny Yoan Gouffran, playing in a holding midfield role, from distance and then he comfortably gathered a downward header from Mitrovic seconds later.
The Serbian striker had an even better chance when Perez dinked a pass over the defence, but the new boy fired wide after taking the ball down well six yards out.
He was also inches away from getting on the end of a Shane Ferguson cross with a diving header before making way for teenager Lewis Suddick.
Perez was the man asked to lead the line for the closing stages and he bundled a finish over the line with 14 minutes remaining, which led to Newcastle pushing on in search of the equaliser which never arrived despite a late Jamaal Lascelles header that bounced over the bar.
YORK CITY: Flinders; McCoy (Swan 66), Lowe (Trialist 66), Winfield (Nolan 66), McCombe (Rzonnnca 66), Straker (Godfrey 66), Berrett (Meikle 66), Summerfield (Ilesanmi 66), Penn (Platt 55), Oliver (Carson 66), Thompson. Subs: Ingham (gk).
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Darlow (Elliot 46); Bigirimana, Lascelles, Satka, Ferguson; Abeid, Gouffran; Perez, De Jong, Aarons (Kemen 59), Mitrovic (Suddick 70). Subs: Johnson.
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