Bristol City secure pre-season victory
Bristol City secured a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly at Ashton Gate. The home side established an early lead with goals from Sam Greenwood and Lorent Tolaj in the first half. Greenwood opened the scoring with a free-kick in the 26th minute after Jacob Ramsey tripped a Robins forward. Tolaj then extended the lead in the 29th minute, slotting the ball past Ewen Jaouen despite an apparent foul on Sven Botman in the build-up.
The match saw Newcastle make an early substitution as Fabian Schär was withdrawn due to injury in the early stages, having suffered an awkward fall. Schär was making only his second start since an ankle injury in January. Eddie Howe made three changes from Newcastle‘s previous 1-1 draw against Gateshead, with Jaouen making his first start for the Magpies following his transfer from Ligue 2 side Stade de Reims. Botman and Anthony Elanga also started, replacing Alex Murphy and Leo Shahar.
Jaouen, the 20-year-old shot-stopper, made an early save, denying Greenwood in the opening stages. The Sunderland-born forward beat the offside trap from Max Bird‘s pass, but Jaouen quickly gathered the loose ball after the initial effort was blocked. Newcastle, supported by 3,400 away fans, nearly took the lead when Sean Steur‘s corner was headed towards goal, but City goalkeeper Sam Tickle tipped the ball over the bar.
Before the match, a minute’s applause was held in the seventh minute in honour of the late Kevin Keegan, with his image displayed on the stadium screens. Sean Neave, who scored in Newcastle‘s 3-0 friendly win against Darlington, had an opportunity to add to his pre-season tally but his first-time effort from Jacob Murphy‘s cross was saved by Tickle. Murphy himself later volleyed wide after Cameron Pring‘s headed clearance.
Second half action and late goals
The second half began with Newcastle almost halving the deficit as Neave struck the crossbar in the opening minute, denying him a first senior goal. However, Bristol City extended their lead further in the 50th minute when Max Bird scored, slotting the ball into the far right-hand corner past goalkeeper Nick Pope, who had been introduced at the restart. Bird combined with Jason Knight before his shot.
Newcastle managed to get on the scoresheet in the 78th minute through Harvey Barnes, who placed a low effort into the net following a move involving Ramsey and 17-year-old forward Matheos Ferreira. Ferreira, a product of the Magpies‘ Academy, made his first-team debut in the previous 1-1 draw against Gateshead. Despite this, Bristol City restored their three-goal advantage in the 81st minute when Sven Botman scored an own goal, turning Sam Bell‘s cross from the left flank into his own net.
Michael Skubala, Bristol City‘s new manager, observed the game from the touchline, noting aspects he liked and areas for improvement. He praised his squad’s performance, but also emphasized the scope for further development. The Robins had been in training for over a month, including a week at a Spanish training camp, while some Newcastle players had only recently returned after the World Cup. This included players like Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes, who were on extended breaks.
The match was part of Newcastle‘s pre-season preparations, which will continue with a trip to south-east Spain later in the week. This includes a visit to the Mestalla Stadium to face La Liga side Valencia on Saturday, 8th August, in their annual Trofeu Taronja (Orange Cup) game. Newcastle United‘s Premier League season is set to begin on August 23.
Bristol City‘s squad featured several new faces, with Sam Tickle, Lisav Eissat, Sam Greenwood, and Lorent Tolaj starting and making notable contributions. Tickle made two saves in the opening period, including one to deny Sean Neave. Eissat‘s pace was also highlighted, while Greenwood‘s work ethic and free-kick were recognized. Tolaj, in addition to his goal, was described as a constant threat. The match was attended by over 21,000 supporters at Ashton Gate.
Newcastle United‘s lineup included Ewen Jaouen (replaced by Nick Pope at 46 minutes), Lewis Hall (replaced by Dylan Charlton at 90 minutes), Sven Botman, Fabian Schär (replaced by Alex Murphy at 20 minutes), Harvey Barnes, Sean Steur, Anthony Elanga (replaced by Matheos Ferreira at 74 minutes), Jacob Murphy (captain, replaced by Leo Shahar at 82 minutes), Joe Willock (replaced by Mason Miley at 90 minutes), Jacob Ramsey, and Sean Neave (replaced by Park Seung-soo at 56 minutes). Unused substitutes for Newcastle included Aidan Harris, Anthony Munda, Miodrag Pivaš, Trevan Sanusi, and Rory Finneran.
Eddie Howe had previously provided updates on several players, noting that Will Osula missed the start of pre-season due to groin tightness, and Sven Botman had taken a knock to the face in training, though neither injury was considered serious. Midfielders Joelinton and Lewis Miley were also recovering from issues, with Miley rehabbing a fractured fibula. Howe anticipated most injured players would be available around the La Manga training camp, with Tino Livramento being the main concern due to a calf injury that forced him to withdraw from England‘s World Cup squad. Other World Cup participants, including Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga, Dan Burn, and Bruno Guimaraes, remained on extended leave following the tournament.
The Bristol City manager compared the squad-building process to a jigsaw puzzle, with several new players integrating well. The team’s cohesion, despite mass changes, was seen as encouraging for fans. While the team appears well-stocked in many positions, areas such as right-back and up front were identified as potentially needing further additions before the transfer window closes. George Tanner played at right-back for the first hour against Newcastle, before being replaced by academy prospect Marley Thelwell.
Source: newcastleunited.com
Freya Donnelly is the Sports Reporter at News-UK, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB through an Olympic cycle. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Brighton and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Brighton, she plays club cricket in the summer. “Listening is the most underrated skill in sports reporting.”
