Newcastle United triumphed 2-1 in their mid-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano in front of a crowd of 34,956 at St James' Park.
A Sean Longstaff cracker in the first half was backed up by Chris Wood's second half penalty with Matt Targett's own goal not enough to pave a way back into the game for the La Liga side. Howe named a strong side to face the Spanish outfit with Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope thrown straight back in at the deep end after the World Cup.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Rayo Vallecano LIVE: Updates as Howe's side return to action
With Callum Wilson nursing a muscle strain it was left to Chris Wood to lead the line for the Magpies. It was the side from Madrid who had the first chance after a Wood backpass fell for Raul de Tomas Gomez but his effort was tipped over by Pope after just two minutes.
But Newcastle grabbed the lead two minutes later after Jacob Murphy cut the ball back for Sean Longstaff and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net at the Leazes End. United should have doubled the lead on the half-hour mark when Murphy - who latched on to Trippier's pass - hit one on the turn but Stole Dimitrievski beat the ball away.
Wood was presented with a couple of chances in the opening 45 minutes but choose to back-heel tamely at the keeper after an Allan Saint-Maximin cross before failing to hit one first time on the turn before the break.
It meant that United went in with a slender lead at the break despite dominating the first half against the team sitting in eighth place in Spain. A good early cross from Murphy on 55 minutes searched for Wood at the back post but he didn't time his run right and the ball rolled to safety in what was a let off for Rayo.
Murphy had a glimpse of goal on 57 minutes after good work from Longstaff but he curled high and wide at Gallowgate. Willock played in Saint-Maximin down the left on 65 minutes but his tame effort went straight into the hands of the keeper.
With 22 minutes to go Willock was sent sprawling in the box with ref Tom Bramall pointing to the spot. New Zealand international Wood stepped up and despatched the ball confidently to net a much-needed goal.
Newcastle old boy Florian Lejeune was afforded warm applause on 69 minutes as he came on as substitute two years after his departure. Willock got free down the left with 20 minutes left but his effort rolled straight into the hands of North Macedonia goalkeeper Dimitrievski.
Rayo got back into the game when Targett hooked the ball past his own keeper after a left-wing cross from Alvaro. Howe then started to make changes and brought on Jay Turner-Cooke and Dylan Stephenson for Shelvey and Wood for the final 13 minutes.
Lewis Miley then replaced Trippier for the last eight minutes at St James' Park with Murphy switching to right-back. Rayo pushed for an equaliser late in the game with former Man United striker Radamel Falcao heading wide with two minutes to go.
It may have been December but in the true fashion of a friendly encounter the game petered out and Newcastle had done enough to take a deserved if not slender victory. But the real stuff is back with us on Tuesday night as AFC Bournemouth stand in the way of a place in the League Cup quarter-finals.
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