The Three Amigos can be the talk of the Toon

MIGUEl AlMIRON spent a week in Spain impressing his new team-mates on table football. He has now done it on a far grander stage. An afternoon against 10-man Huddersfield is perhaps as easy as the games room of the team hotel during a mid-season break. But Almiron showed enough in 81 minutes of joyous enthusiasm to suggest he will soon be leaving even the top teams in a spin. Supporters have called Rafa Benitez’s new-look frontline ‘The Three Amigos’ – a Spanish-speaking triumvirate of Almiron plus scorers Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez. It was the Paraguayan, on his home debut, who changed the dynamic of a team who remain the Premier league’s second lowest scorers. ‘It’s a real positive when you’ve got a player like him who likes to run in between the lines,’ Rondon said. ‘Having Almiron behind will give us a different dimension.’ Almiron was denied a goal when his 20-yard chip struck the post, and he did well to recover from the shin-high challenge which saw Tommy Smith dismissed. He will start at home to Burnley tomorrow night after Benitez saved his legs late on, his withdrawal triggering a standing ovation. But Almiron was rivalled for star-man honours by academy graduate Sean longstaff. He was watched by England Under 21 boss Aidy Boothroyd and the only decision now for Three lions selectors is whether he skips the lower age group, so good was he here. NEWCASTLE (3-4-3): Dubravka 6.5; Schar 6.5, Lascelles 7, Lejeune 7.5; Yedlin 6.5, LONGSTAFF 8, Hayden 7, Ritchie 6.5 (Kenedy 68min, 6.5); Perez 7.5, Rondon 7.5 (Joselu 84), Almiron 7.5 (Atsu 81). Subs not used: Woodman, Dummett, Ki, Manquillo. Scorers: Rondon 47, Perez 52. Booked: Yedlin, Ritchie. Manager: Rafa Benitez 7. HUDDERSFIELD (4-1-3-2): Lossl 7.5; Smith 4, Jorgensen 6, Schindler 5, Lowe 5; Hogg 6; Puncheon 5 (Hadergjonaj 24, 5), Bacuna 5 (Billing 69, 5.5), Mooy 5; Kachunga 5, Depoitre 6 (Mounie 76, 5). Subs not used: Hamer, Kongolo, Billing, Grant, Stankovic. Sent off: Smith. Manager: Jan Siewart 5 Referee: Kevin Friend 7. Attendance: 52,174.