Hat-trick for Duff at Toon friendly

Hartlepool 1 Newcastle 4

Damien Duff claimed a fine hat-trick as Newcastle launched their pre-season campaign with a comfortable victory at Hartlepool.

The Irish international cancelled out Matty Robson's opener five minutes before the break and then added a second from debutant Danny Guthrie's pass before making it 4-1 at the death.

In the meantime, Guthrie had marked his arrival on Tyneside with a deflected 53rd-minute strike.

Kevin Keegan's side endured a testing start as the League One outfit took the game to them, but they eventually made their class tell and were worthy winners in front of a crowd of 4,249.

Keegan was without the injured Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Habib Beye and Steve Harper, while Abdoulaye Faye and Geremi returned to training later than their team-mates after World Cup qualifiers during the summer.

James Milner, who has been linked with both Liverpool and Aston Villa this summer, started in central midfield with Duff playing on the right, a position which could yet be filled by summer signing Jonas Gutierrez when the season gets under way.

The home side took the lead with 16 minutes gone when midfielder Robson ran on to Joel Porter's ball down the left and chipped a shot past Shay Given at his near post.

Newcastle were laboured in their efforts to get back into the game, but they were level five minutes from the break when Duff collected Milner's pass and cut inside before curling a left-foot shot past keeper Arran Lee-Barratt.

Ben Clark had to clear Obafemi Martins' scuffed effort off the line seconds later, and it took a fine save from Lee-Barratt to keep out Charles N'Zogbia's 44th-minute shot as it skidded off the rain-soaked turf with the Magpies warming to their task.

Guthrie arrived as a half-time replacement for Jose Enrique, while Shola Ameobi came on for Martins, and the former Liverpool midfielder made a swift impact when he picked out Duff, who held off Clark to slot past Lee-Barratt with 52 minutes gone.

Guthrie helped himself to the third goal within seconds when his long-range shot was deflected past the keeper.

Ameobi miskicked in front of an open goal with 56 minutes gone as the visitors threatened to run riot, but after landing an 80th-minute cross on the bar, Duff completed his hat-trick with another deft finish two minutes from time.