NEWCASTLE TOWN 2 (Budrys 8, Foy 73)
STOKE CITY 1 (Etherington 37)

The Potters suffered a surprise defeat at the Lyme Valley Stadium, going down by two goals to one in the traditional pre-season curtain raiser.

An early header from the host's main striker Chris Budrys gave them the lead before City winger Matthew Etherington equalled things up before the break.

The killer second goal arrived midway through the second period from substitute David Foy.

The Potters fielded first team regulars Andy Wilkinson, Abdoulaye Faye, Matthew Etherington, James Beattie, Glenn Whelan and Rory Delap alongside others hoping to push themselves into the team for the Barclays Premier League season opener against Burnley like Dave Kitson and Carl Dickinson.

The visitors could have taken the lead as early as the 5th minute as a low cross from Etherington was fumbled by ex-Crewe keeper Stuart Tomlinson, in the Town goal, but he managed to recover and pounce on the ball as record signing Kitson swung his leg at the loose ball.

Town opened the scoring in the 8th minute as Andy Bourne chipped the ball into the box. St. Louis-Hamilton came to clear the ball but misjudged it, allowing dangerman Budrys to use the back of his head to loop the ball over the stranded goalkeeper and in turn watch the ball drop into the back of the net.

City nearly equalised straight away as Kitson tricked his way past Willis out wide before chipping the ball to the far post.

Delap came steaming in but, with the goal at his mercy, headed it inches over the bar.

City continued to push and Delap, again, and Faye both had efforts go close before Whelan spotted Tomlinson off his line and lobbed the keeper from the halfway line.

The tall shot stopper backtracked and held onto the ball right underneath his crossbar, stopping what would have been a fantastic goal from the Republic of Ireland international.

The all action midfielder continued to be involved in everything the Potters did and after a driving run forward he rolled the ball to the unmarked Beattie.

The January signing rounded the keeper before slipping and falling over allowing Tomlinson to recover and grab the loose ball.

Town then had an opportunity to double their advantage when Naggington was found behind the defence, although he looked suspiciously offside, and after waiting for support his dangerous ball into the box was cut out by Whelan as an incoming Town midfielder looked to pick his spot from 12 yards.

Winger Tom Soares then went close in the twenty second minute as Whelan threaded a pass behind the defence and the ex-Crystal Palace man used his pace to burn away from the full back before dragging his shot inches wide of the far post.

Stoke continued to prod away and just after the half hour mark full back Andy Wilkinson cut inside, dribbling past two defenders, before fizzing a shot in at goal.

Tomlinson could only parry the ball out to Etherington who hit it first time.

The ball looked destined for the net only for the keeper to stick up and arm and divert it away from goal.

The Potters did equalise in the 37th minute, as Kitson controlled the ball midway in the Newcastle half before turning and pushing the ball into the path of Etherington.

The speedy winger hit the ball first time with the outside of his left foot to curl it into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.

There was enough time for the Potters to take the lead before half time as a quick breakaway, started by a throw out from keeper St. Louis-Hamilton, saw Etherington carry the ball half the length of the field before dinking it through to Kitson.

Now 15 yards out, and one-on-one with the keeper, the striker looked up but provided a tame effort into the grateful arms of the keeper.

No substitutions were made at half time but ten minutes into the second half Faye, Beattie, Etherington and Whelan made way for Matty Lund, Ben Marshall, Louis Moult and Ryan Shotton.

Moult was immediately involved in the action as he looked to be in behind the defence only to be pulled back for offside with only the keeper to beat.

Moult then linked up with strike partner Kitson as, after being fed the ball by the ex-Reading hitman, the Academy star curled a beautiful return pass to put Kitson in on goal.

Kitson hit it first time and could only watch as the ball flew over the bar.

Lund was next to go close as he got on the end of Wilkinson chipped ball into the box, heading the ball over the keeper and turning round, only to see the ball drop just wide of the post.

With seventeen minutes left, a long harmlessly looking ball forward was latched onto by Foy.

Sprinting to get onto the pass he hit it first time from the left hand side of the box and lifted it over the keeper before celebrating as it dropped into the corner of the net to give the hosts the lead for the second time.

The Potters were struggling to create clear openings and a dangerous cross from Lund was cut out by Tomlinson as Marshall and Moult challenged the big keeper for the high ball.

Moult thought he'd drew the scores level in the 84th minute when, after being expertly picked out by Danny Stockhall from the opposite wing, he chested the ball down and smashed in a shot from 18 yards. The ball flew past Tomlinson but went inches wide of the post leaving the striker with his head in his hands.

Marshall went close late on as, firstly in the 86th minute, he picked up a loose ball 20 yards out before powering a shot in that beat the keeper but also the post, and then, in the final minute, after receiving the ball on the edge of the box he turned his marker but rolled in a weak shot that the keeper easily stopped.

CITY (4-4-2): St. Louis-Hamilton; Wilkinson, Cort, A. D. Faye (c) (Shotton 55), Dickinson; Soares, Whelan (Marshall 55), Delap (Nicholls 65), Etherington (Lund 55); Beattie (Moult 55), Kitson (Stockhall 68).