NEWCASTLE UNITED RES 0
MIDDLESBROUGH RES 2
Premier Reserve League North
St.James' Park
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Kick-off 7pm

Craig Hope reports from St.James' Park ...

NEWCASTLE United were left to a rue a Ryan Donaldson missed penalty as Middlebrough ran-out 2-0 winners in the Tyne-Tees derby at St.James' Park.

The England Under-17 international stepped up in the 67th minute after Kazenga LuaLua had been tripped by Anthony McMahon.

But Donaldson was denied his first Gallowgate goal as Brad Jones threw himself the length of the goal to palm away the 16-year-old's well-struck spot-kick.

In the end it was Sebastian Hines' first-half effort and Ben Hutchinson's late header which won it for the visitors, but the Magpies had the heroics of keeper Fraser Forster to thank for keeping the score down.

Gaizka Mendieta had the first chance of the game, his bending free-kick brushing Forster's side-netting from 20 yards after five minutes.

Thomas Craddock then span in the area and fired over after Anthony McMahon had stole the ball from Darren Lough on the left before finding his team-mate on the penalty spot.

Still the Teesiders pressed for that much-coveted breakthrough and it took a combination of Matty Pattison and Forster to scramble clear on the goal-line after Rhys Williams had connected with Mendieta's out-swinging flag-kick.

Forster then produced a top drawer save to deny Jonathan Grounds in the 18th minute, the Toon stopper athletically repelling the Boro full-back's shot from close range after he got on the end of Joseph Bennett's left-wing centre.

Egyptian summer signing Mohamed Shawky saw a low, 20-yard drive zip off the surface and evade the United post by a whisker before Boro eventually found that elusive opener.

Mendieta's corner was headed goalwards by Craddock only for Forster to parry, Lee was lurking to return the ball into the mix before centre-back Sebastien Hines (41) turned the ball into the Gallowgate net from less than two yards out.

The Geordies went in search of a leveller from the restart and Jonny Godsmark saw a flash header evade the Boro bar from Kazenga LuaLua's left-wing delivery.

Boro could have doubled their lead right on the stroke of half-time, Mendieta finding Craddock with a lovely-weighted forward pass but Forster again thwarted the centre-forward with a low save from his stinging first-time volley.

Forster continued to impress and was at full-stretch to palm Mendieta's curler around the post just on 56 minutes.

And the 19-year-old keeper again thwarted the Spaniard just four minutes later, using every bit of his 6ft 4ins frame to tip around the upright following the midfielder's low, 20 yard strike.

LuaLua went close with a long-range effort before winning the spot-kick which substitute Donaldson was unlucky to see saved - and in fairness to the Three Lions youngster it was second-half introduction which helped inspire the Magpies' fightback.

Forster then denied Cattermole with another fine stop before Hutchinson (88) glanced in Graeme Owens' whipped left-wing centre to seal the points for the Teesiders.

NUFC: Fraser Forster, Mark Bertram, Darren Lough, Mark Doninger, Alex Francis (Callum Morris, 21m) David Edgar, Kazenga LuaLua, Matty Pattison, Frank Wiafe Danquah (Ryan Donaldson, 62m), Jonny Godsmark, James Troisi
Subs not used: Alex Patterson, Mark Cook, James Marwood

MFC: Brad Jones, Anthony McMahon, Jonathan Grounds, Rhys Williams, Sebastien Hines, Lee Cattermole, Gaizka Mendieta, (Jonathan Franks, 72m) Mohamed Shawky, Thomas Craddock, Don-Gook Lee (Ben Hutchinson, 70m), Joseph Bennett (Graeme Owens, 45m)
Subs not used: John Johnson, Jason Steele

Attendance: 608
Referee: R Metcalfe