A WIN, an effective attacking display and Callum Wilson’s first goal as Newcastle’s new number nine. Throw in the presence of more than 3,000 travelling Geordies, and while some moments of defensive slackness were a minor cause for concern, this was nevertheless a positive night for the Magpies.

Admittedly, a warm-up win over League One opposition will count for nothing when the real action begins in three weeks’ time, and you only had to glance at the youthful nature of Newcastle’s bench last night to appreciate the desperate need for signings.

But after a traumatic couple of weeks that has seen the club’s off-field fortunes take yet another turn for the worse, not to mention the small matter of a defeat to National League North York City, this was a much-needed reminder that the Magpies still boast plenty of quality within their squad, not to mention a fanbase that just about any other club in the top-flight would covet.

It can’t all be doom and gloom when you’ve got an entire stand at the Keepmoat Stadium swooning over a piece of skill from Allan Saint-Maximin or celebrating a characteristically crisp finish from Wilson.

Bruce will hope to make additions ahead of the season opener against West Ham of course, and they remain badly needed despite this result. Whoever lines up against the Hammers though, they look likely to be featuring in a 5-3-2 formation, with Bruce having used the same system for both pre-season matches.

Isaac Hayden was stationed as a centre-half yesterday, with Jacob Murphy and Jamal Lewis lining up as wing-backs, while at the other end of the pitch, Saint-Maximin partnered Wilson in attack. Initially signed as a winger, Saint-Maximin could well spend much of next season playing through the middle.

Both of Newcastle’s forwards were lively last night, with the Magpies a much brighter and sharper attacking proposition than they had been as they lost at York.

They were ahead after 12 minutes, with Ryan Fraser providing a welcome reminder of his goalscoring capabilities after a frustrating first season on Tyneside. Fraser barely got a kick for Scotland during the Euros, but having received the ball on the corner of the 18-yard box, he turned neatly before drilling a low strike into the corner.

A second Newcastle goal arrived midway through the first half, and owed much to some neat link-up play between Lewis and Saint-Maximin. The former won the ball in his own half, and drove forward before feeding the latter down the left. Having skipped past his marker, Saint-Maximin delivered a low cross into the box that Sean Longstaff stabbed home.

Doncaster clawed a goal back on the half-hour mark. Teenage goalkeeper Dan Langley, who retained his place in the continued absence of Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, Freddie Woodman and Mark Gillespie, palmed away a low shot, but Tommy Rowe steered home the rebound.

Doncaster threatened to pull level at the start of the second half, but the more the hosts pressed, the more Newcastle were able to cut them apart on the break. Saint-Maximin launched a raid upfield, Fraser threaded a through ball through the heart of the Doncaster defence, and Wilson slotted a low first-time finish into the corner.

Fraser missed a sitter shortly after, before Doncaster pulled a goal back with 14 minutes left, Omar Bogle glancing a header into the corner.

Newcastle (5-3-2): Langley; Murphy (Allan 81), Hayden (Fernandez 57), Lascelles (Watts 81), Dummett (Clark 70), Lewis (Bondswell 85); Hendrick, S Longstaff; Fraser (Young 76); Wilson (M Longstaff 66), Saint-Maximin (Gayle 66).