Joelinton and Matty Longstaff star as Newcastle United wrap up pre-season campaign

Steve Bruce’s side beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 thanks to goals from Longstaff and Joelinton.

The game saw new signings Allan Saint-Maximin and Jetro Willems make their debuts less than 24 hours after signing for the club.

Joelinton, signed last month from Hoffenheim in a £40million deal, made it two goals from two starts with a first-half strike, while Longstaff netted seconds after replacing replacing Isaac Hayden.

Former Newcastle defender Mathieu Debuchy pulled a goal back for the visitors in front of a 16,686 crowd at St James’s Park.

Bruce opted against naming Saint-Maximin and Willems, signed yesterday from Nice and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively, in his starting XI as the pair hadn’t trained with his team before the game. Joelinton made a second successive start.

United started well, and Miguel Almiron, playing alongside Joelinton, had a shot blocked after a quick run forward. Isaac Hayden also had a shot from a tight angle deflected wide after taking the ball round goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute. Fabian Schar played a long ball forward for Joelinton, who took the ball past Ruffier and finished.

Bruce named an unchanged team for the second half, but Saint-Maximin and Willems were sent on just before the hour-mark along with Yoshinori Muto.Saint-Maximin had a low shot saved by Ruffier soon after making it on to the pitch, but it was to be another substitute who got the club’s second goal less than a minute after coming on.

Matty Longstaff beat Ruffier with a 20-yard shot which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Chances came and went for United before Debuchy netted a late consolation for Saint-Etienne.

Newcastle kick-off their Premier League campaign with a home game against Arsenal on August 11.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Dubravka; Manquillo, (Murphy, 80), Schar (Dummett 77), Lascelles (Clark, 77), Fernandez, Aarons (Willems 58); Hayden (M Longstaff, 72), Shelvey (Ki, 72), S Longstaff; Almiron (Saint-Maximin, 58), Joelinton (Muto, 58). Subs not used: Darlow, Sterry, Atsu.