ANTHONY STRAKER and Reece Thompson ensured there would be no happy homecoming for Steve McClaren at York City.

The York-born Magpies boss watched as the pair's first-half goals set the Minstermen on their way to a 2-1 victory in front of nearly 5,500 fans at Bootham Crescent.

Straker, sent on loan to Motherwell last season, continued his rejuvenation when converting Luke Summerfield's cross in the 16th minute, before Frickley trialist Thompson bent a superb strike into the top corner three minutes later.

Ayoze Perez reduced the deficit with quarter of an hour left, but York stood firm to record their first pre-season victory with easily their most eye-catching performance.

McClaren brought a number of his youngsters to York, with his side facing Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend, which meant the likes of Mehdi Abeid, Lubomir Satka and Shane Ferguson all got a run-out.

But he also unveiled Aleksandar Mitrovic – the club's £13million acquisition from Anderlecht, who scored 44 goals in 90 appearances for the Belgian outfit.

Russ Wilcox, meanwhile, brought midfielder James Berrett back into the line-up from the side that lost 2-0 at Harrogate Town and also gave Thompson another opportunity up front with Vadaine Oliver.

The City boss had said playing Newcastle would be 'another level' to anything the Minstermen had faced in pre-season so far and the visitors showed their intent from the very beginning.

In the first minute, Keith Lowe clumsily parted with possession inside the City half and, after Perez drove towards the box, Siem de Jong forced Scott Flinders to palm the ball behind following a low drive.

From the corner, Rolando Aarons picked it up short and cut inside before firing at the near post. Flinders held it well.

The early pressure continued when Mitrovic headed over a dangerous, curling delivery from Ferguson and, as expected, the Premier League outfit were dominating both territory and possession.

But after that hurricane start, York started to get a foot on the ball and they took the lead with their first really dangerous attack just after the quarter-hour mark.

Thompson did magnificently, harassing and winning the ball on the right side of the area. He laid it back to Summerfield, whose deep cross found Straker, unmarked running in at the far post, to lift the ball over keeper Karl Darlow and give York the lead.

Three minutes later, they had doubled their advantage – and it was an absolute beauty. Thompson picked up the ball on the right, drove towards the box and dispatched a superb effort from 18 yards that was going nowhere but the top corner.

The goals gave York enormous confidence. They stroked the ball around, players moving into position, coming short and giving options. It was they who looked like the top-flight outfit.

Dangerous on the counter-attack, what was most impressive was the way that, without possession, they found the pressing quick-tempo they had shown against Sheffield Wednesday but had been so lacking against Harrogate.

Aarons tried to give Newcastle some impetus, his acrobatic effort seven minutes from half-time easily dealt with by Flinders, and a minute before the break, his header from Abeid's cross struck the crossbar.

Newcastle threatened once more on the restart – Flinders getting a firm arm to Gouffran's stinging drive from outside the area, while Mitrovic's downward header a minute later caused less trouble.

The big-money buy was guilty of a more glaring miss shortly after when shooting wide of the far post after his excellent run into the box was picked out by Perez's neat pass.

Wilcox made eight changes with 25 minutes remaining, bringing on the likes of Eddie Nolan, George Swan and Josh Carson, but the Minstermen continued to try and make the running and both Swan and Lindon Meikle came close to connecting with Taron Hare's deep delivery with 20 minutes left.

Newcastle got back in the game shortly after when Perez, on his 22nd birthday, forced the ball home at the far post after a scramble following a corner.

They tried hard to force an equaliser, and de Jong flashed wide with eight minutes left on the clock, but City finished the stronger and held on for a deserved win.

York City: Scott Flinders, Marvin McCoy (Taron Hare, 65), David Winfield (Eddie Nolan, 65), Keith Lowe (George Swan, 65), John McCombe (Femi Ilesanmi, 65), Anthony Straker (Josh Carson, 65), James Berrett (Lindon Meikle, 65), Russell Penn (Tom Platt, 54), Luke Summerfield (Ben Godfrey, 65), Vadaine Oliver (Callum Rzonca, 65), Reece Thompson.

Sub not used: Michael Ingham.

Newcastle United: Karl Darlow (Rob Elliott, 46), Gael Bigirimana, Jamaal Lascelles, Lubomir Satka, Shane Ferguson, Ayoze Perez, Mehdi Abeid, Yoan Gouffran, Rolando Aarons (Olivier Kemen, 58), Siem de Jong, Aleksandar Mitrovic (Lewis Suddick, 69).

Subs not used: Louis Johnson

Attendance: 5,406 (2,048 from Newcastle).