"Neil Warnock was delighted with another good pre-season workout for his players after Newcastle were beaten 5-1 in a training match at Rockliffe on Tuesday.
Britt Assombalonga scored twice in a game that saw Warnock utilise 17 members of his squad as the countdown continued towards the new season kick-off.
“We worked hard,” said the Boro boss. “You could see both teams are in pre-season and experimenting.
“I was delighted with the work ethic we showed, and we played some good football.
“It’s all about building up to the first game. We're getting a bit sharper and I think we can get better.”
Having scored three at Plymouth in a training game last midweek, Boro were even smarter in front of goal against Newcastle, hitting the target five times.
“The pitch was good and the opponents were good, but it was nice to take our chances and see the goals go in.
“You can’t judge too much in pre-season games, the season is different when it starts, but I was pleased with my own team.”
Jag tog för givet att det var Newcastle från Australien när jag såg resultatet först.
En träningsmatch är alltid en träningsmatch men detta måste ju vara ett fall framåt...
