Steur’s standout debut masks Newcastle’s painful draw

Vandaag, at 15:19, Newcastle United were left with a painful 1-1 draw against Gateshead in a Saturday friendly, while former Ajax midfielder Sean Steur enjoyed a strong unofficial debut that drew praise from local observers.

The match report notes that Newcastle United could not avoid the stalemate, with the score level at the final whistle after Gateshead’s early strike and a later own‑goal by Ben Williams.

Local Engelse media singled out Steur as the standout player, highlighting his technical ball handling and forward passing that recalled his time at Ajax.

A week earlier Steur had not featured in Newcastle’s 3-0 victory over Darlington FC, but on Saturday he made his unofficial first‑team debut against Gateshead.

Gateshead, a club from a neighbouring town of Newcastle, competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football.

Newcastle fielded several big names alongside Steur, including Nick Pope, Fabian Schär, Lewis Hall, Joe Willock, Jacob Murphey and Harvey Barnes.

Gateshead seized the first real chance of the game, scoring in the first half after a quick move that caught Newcastle’s defence off‑guard.

Het Chronicle awarded Steur an 8, citing his fine technical ball control and the volume of forward passes he delivered throughout the match.

Steur completed the full 90 minutes, and Newcastle were levelled when Ben Williams inadvertently put the ball into his own net, restoring the score to 1-1.

The Daily Telegraph concluded, “Not the result Eddie Howe hoped for, but he can at least take some comfort from the positive performance of newcomer Steur in midfield.”

Newcastle’s next friendly is scheduled for Wednesday, when they will face Bristol City, with former FC Volendam player Gibson Yah leading the opposition.