ROLANDO AARONS pushed his first-team claims as Newcastle signed off their tour of the United States with a 4-3 defeat to MLS side Portland Timbers in the early hours of this morning.

Aarons scored two goals - one of which was a sensational overhead kick - and set up another to remind Steve McClaren of his qualities ahead of the opening game of the Premier League season on August 9.

With Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor and Jamaal Lascelles all left out of the side because of concerns about their ability to perform on an artificial pitch, a patched-up Newcastle defence conceded a succession of soft goals as Portland claimed a 4-1 advantage.

Aarons' late double provided a degree of respectability, but questions are being asked as to why the Magpies chose to play a game on a surface that meant McClaren had to field a back four featuing Aarons, Shane Ferguson, Lubo Satka and Gael Bigirimana.

Having claimed a seventh-minute lead through summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum's first goal in a Newcastle shirt, the Magpies were pegged back when Satka inexplicably conceded possession on the edge of his own area, enabling Fatawa Safiu to score.

Anthony Manning headed Portland into the lead midway through the first half, with Taylor Peay adding another goal minutes later as the Newcastle defence made a complete hash of trying to defend a corner.

Bigirimana was at fault as Nick Besler headed home a fourth Portland goal in the second half, before Aarons scored the goal of the game as he teed himself up for a ten-yard bicycle kick that scorched into the net.

Aarons scored again with a long-range effort that found the net via the underside of the crossbar, but United were unable to claim the equaliser that would have enabled them to avoid leaving America on the back of their second pre-season defeat.

Newcastle will return to action at Sheffield United on Sunday, with new signing Aleksandar Mitrovic expected to make his first appearance for the club at Bramall Lane.

McClaren said: "We had six of seven who couldn’t play on this surface, and quite a few played who we only wanted to have a small amount of time because of troubles they get.

“In that respect, the key thing was that everyone came through safely and no injuries. We’ve more or less done that.

"In the first half it was a makeshift back four. We had no centre-halves, really. They couldn’t play on this surface. That was always going to be difficult.”

Newcastle: Darlow (Woodman 46), Bigirimana, Satka, Ferguson, Aarons; Abeid (Anita 65), Wijnaldum (Janmaat 46), Gouffran (De Jong 76), Sissoko (Obertan 46), Ayoze, Cisse (Armstrong 46).