DERBY COUNTY U18s 3
NEWCASTLE UNITED U18s 1
Premier Academy League North
Moor Farm Training Centre, Derby
Saturday, October 20, 2007

Weakened United's under-18s were out of luck as James Tavernier hit the bar twice before Derby finally clinched the points with goals from their two substitutes.

Tavernier crashed a close-range 19^th-minute shot against the underside of the bar from James Marwood's cross, then watched in despair as Rams centre-forward Anthony Robertson seized on a weak James Taylor header to crack a great 23-yard shot into the left corner on 33 minutes.

Tavernier's despair was deepened in first-half injury time when he saw his six-yard shot from a Phil Airey ball again come back off the bar.

United, bottom of Group D without a win, took the game to second-placed Derby, but in the 59^th minute Paris Simmons - half-time replacement for the injured Robertson - fired Tyron Amory's pass over the head of Magpies keeper Sam Filler from 12 yards.

Jeff Henderson went into the book for a foul on Mario Loesch, who soon after was also cautioned for throwing the ball away after fouling Henderson. Derby's Jermaine Johnson also saw yellow for a late tackle on James Marwood.

United gave themselves a lifeline with 13 minutes remaining when Taylor forced the ball home from close range after Matt Grieve flicked on a Kieran Wrightson throw-in.

United, depleted by international calls and injuries, almost grabbed a late equaliser when Dan Neary couldn't quite get enough on a six-yard header from Tavernier's right-wing cross.

And the match was taken out of United's reach in the third minute of injury time when Derby's second substitute, Aaron Dillion <ok>, hammered a shot under Filler from 15 yards following another breakaway by Amory.

NUFC: Sam Filler, Alex Patterson, Matthew Grieve, James Taylor, Darren Lough, James Tavernier, Stewart Bath, Jeffrey Henderson, James Marwood, Daniel Neary, Phil Airey (Kieran Wrightson 65).