AYOZE PEREZ’S late equaliser enabled Newcastle United to maintain their unbeaten pre-season record with a 2-2 draw at Hull City.

Perez slotted home from close range to spare the Magpies’ blushes after they found themselves trailing to Championship opposition.

Joselu’s early opener had put Newcastle into the driving seat at the KCOM Stadium, but Todd Kane levelled at the end of the first half and Evandro fired Hull into the lead midway through the second period.

Rafael Benitez introduced a host of substitutes in the second half, and after coming off the bench at the start of the second period, Perez levelled after Ciaran Clark flicked a corner into his path.

Newcastle have made three signings this summer – admittedly two of the players were on the books last season – but none of the trio were in the starting line-up on Humberside.

Instead, Rafael Benitez went with a mixture of youth and experience, with Josef Yarney, Callum Roberts and Sean Longstaff joining the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Jonjo Shelvey in the starting XI.

Hull are just a week-and-a-half away from the start of the Championship season, and are therefore at a more advanced stage of their pre-season preparations, but it was Newcastle who broke from the traps quickest to dominate the opening stages.

Roared on by a contingent of around 2,000 travelling supporters, the Magpies threatened in the 11th minute when Joselu chested the ball down in the area, only for Jacob Murphy to blaze wastefully over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, however, and the visitors had claimed the lead. Shelvey’s ball over the top of the defence enabled Joselu to beat the offside trap, and with Hull goalkeeper David Marshall caught in no-man’s land as he hesitantly left his line, Newcastle’s Spanish striker rolled home a simple side-footed finish.

Hull’s first effort on goal came midway through the first half, but while Nouha Dicko got on the wrong side of Yarney to get a shot away, Lascelles produced an excellent covering challenge to block the striker’s shot.

Karl Darlow was called into action moments later to gather a low shot from David Milinkovic, but while that was a routine save, Marshall was twice extended as Newcastle threatened from first-half set-pieces at the other end.

Marshall produced a superb full-stretch save as he clawed away Shelvey’s goal-bound effort, before producing another smart stop to deny Matt Ritchie from the corner of the area.

The second save saw the ball drop invitingly for Jacob Murphy, but while the winger’s follow-up header looked like finding the net, Stephen Kingsley acrobatically hooked the ball clear from the goalline.

Newcastle were well on top at that stage, but Hull finished the first half strongly and claimed an equaliser four minutes before the break.

It was a sloppy goal to concede from a Newcastle point of view, with Evandro finding space on the right-hand side to deliver a low cross across the box. The Magpies’ defence was ragged and disorganised, enabling Kane to fire a scuffed finish past Karl Darlow.

Benitez rang the changes at half-time, making six substitutions as he brought on a clutch of replacements that included Freddie Woodman, Clark, Rolando Aarons and Perez.

Woodman was involved within seven minutes of the restart, getting down well to prevent Dicko firing Hull into the lead after the Tigers striker stole ahead of Shelvey to win the ball deep inside the Newcastle half.

However, the Magpies’ replacement goalkeeper was powerless to prevent his side falling behind shortly after the hour mark.

Another replacement, Isaac Hayden, slid in to tackle Dicko in the area, but the ball broke invitingly for Evandro, who slotted home a low finish from ten yards.

Hull should have had a third goal with nine minutes left, but while Woodman’s poor ball out of defence afforded Will Keane a clear run into the area, the Hull substitute shot wastefully into the side-netting.

Newcastle came close to equalising with six minutes left, but Marshall turned Ritchie’s free-kick around the post. However, from the subsequent corner, the visitors did draw themselves level.

Ritchie delivered the ball from the left, Clark flicked on at the front post, and Perez steered the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

Hull (4-4-2): Marshall; Lichaj, Burke, de Wijs, Kingsley; Kane, Henriksen, Batty, Milinkovic; Evandro (Sheaf 74), Dicko (Keane 66).

Subs (not used): Long (gk), Stewart, Campbell, Holmes, Hamilton, Fleming, Ritson, Curry, McKenzie, MacDonald.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Darlow (Woodman 46); Yedlin (Sterry 46), Lascelles (Clark 46), Yarney (Hayden 54), Roberts (Manquillo 46); Shelvey (Ki 70), Diame (Fernandez 61); Ritchie, Longstaff, Murphy (Aarons 46); Joselu (Perez 46).

Sub (not used): Dubravka (gk).