NEWCASTLE UNITED U18s 2
MANCHESTER CITY U18s 3
FA Premier Academy League Group D
Little Benton
Saturday, September 1, 2007

Campbell Bell's double brought no reward for United's Under-18s, who have now taken just one point from their first three Academy games.

Manchester City's older, stronger side always had the upper hand and led after 24 minutes when Robbie Mak turned home the loose ball after keeper Mark Cook could only push out a hard-driven low cross from the dangerous Vladimir Weiss.

Donal McDermott had already missed a great chance and Cook had tipped an Ian Daly 25-yarder onto the bar before City scored, but United levelled in their first serious attack in the 30th minute - and what a quality goal it was.

Centre-back Alex Francis, who after playing as emergency goalkeeper at Stoke City last week, began as stand-in centre-forward in the absence of Ryan Donaldson against the Manchester youngsters, played a fine ball through to James Marwood to spark the move.

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Marwood, 25 yards out, had a glimpse of goal but instead of shooting picked out Bell's perceptive run across the box, and Bell steered a neat 14-yard shot past the advancing Greg Hartley and in off the left post.

Chris Ramsey headed a great chance wide and Ryan McGivern flicked a shot against the bar as City ended the first half on top.

And just 70 seconds after the interval City were ahead again when Weiss fed Mak who measured a cunning 25-yard shot in off the left upright.

Francis, who had dropped back into defence to help combat City's forward power, went into the book along with Stewart Bath for fouls, and only a magnificent 66th-minute diving save from cook denied McGivern.

Kieran Wrightson was similarly denied at the other end by Hartley in the 70th minute and twice Mak was close to a hat-trick, but the match was finally put beyond United by Weiss's close-range finish four minutes from time.

There was a 90th-minute consolation for United with another beautifully-worked goal. Substitute Jonny Godsmark cleverly backheeled to send Frank Danquah into space on the right, and Danquah's low cross beat keeper Hartley for Bell to slide in ahead of City skipper Ben Mee and score from almost on the line.

NEWCASTLE U-18s: Cook, Taylor, Patterson, Bath (sub Doninger 74), C Morris, Henderson, Marwood, Wrightson (sub Danquah 74), Francis, Bell, Ferguson (sub Godsmark 72). Subs not used: Bertram, Gillespie.

MANCHESTER CITY U-18s: Hartley, Trippier, McGivern, Ramsey, Mee, Kay, Weiss, Tsiaklis <OK>, Daly, Mak, McDermott. Subs not used: B Morris, Clegg, Ibrahim, Redshaw, Cunningham.

Referee: Simon Clayton.