Newcastle 1-0 Sacramento Republic – NUFC Match Ratings

5. Jamaal Lascelles (Replaced By Steven Taylor) - 5/10

Quiet once again, which could be seen as a positive, but still liable to give away silly fouls due to his size. We can't be too harsh on the former Nottingham Forest man as he played his 45 minutes alongside Mike Williamson, as the pair made their third start in three pre-season games at the heart of United's defence. Surely when a better centre back, someone of Chancel Mbemba;s ilk is brought in we'll start to see the potential that caught the eye of Roy Hodgson last autumn when he allowed the big defender to train with the England senior side. Still, plenty to build on for the 21-year-old.

Steven Taylor - 6.5/10

Composed. Yes, Steven Taylor was composed and slotted straight back into the United defence for the first time in almost eight months. The Geordie picked up where he left off last season, when that horrible injury on New Year's Day against Burnley ended what had been a pretty fine run of form over the Christmas period. Surely his return will see Mike Williamson take a place on the bench when Newcastle take on the Portland Timbers this Tuesday evening.