NEWCASTLE UNITED U-18s 1
DERBY COUNTY U-18S 0
Premier Academy League
Little Benton, Newcastle
Saturday, December 8, 2007

AN amazing 80th-minute free-kick from James Marwood earned United under-18s three points against Derby County at rainswept Benton this afternoon.

A full 35 yards from goal and tight to the left touchline, Marwood took deliberate aim and whipped an unstoppable right-foot rocket beyond Rams keeper Ross Atkins into the top right corner.

It was an astonishing goal to bring the third win of the season that bottom-of-the table United thoroughly deserved for the way they dominated, particularly in the second half with the wind driving at their backs.

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Atkins had been in defiant form, saving brilliantly three times from Mark Doninger and once from clean-through Jonny Godsmark.

How the game remained goalless until Marwood's memorable strike, though, is hard to explain.

Both teams had gilt-edged early chances, Paris Simmons seizing on Matt Grieve's hesitancy to round keeper Paul Farman then lift his angled 12-yard shot over the bar with the goal gaping, then Jonny Godsmark rounding Atkins but placing his cross from the right behind Frank Danquah waiting on the six-yard line to nod into an empty net.

Twice Atkins had to come off his line to deny the speedy Godsmark, while Farman had to spring to his right to hold a Tyron Amory 25-yarder five minutes before the break.

With the elements at their backs, United took firm control of the second half.

Danquah saw a 57th-minute shot cleared off the line by Greg Mills and Doninger almost beat Atkins from 35 yards.

The Rams should have pinched a breakaway goal on 70 minutes when Mills on the right set up Simmons in front of an open goal ? but the Rams striker slipped on the greasy surface at the crucial moment.

Doninger then looked a certain scorer from Godsmark's right-wing cross only for Atkins to miraculously save with his legs, and even after Marwood's glorious winner Danquah fired against the left post after his first shot was parried by the excellent Atkins.

UNITED: Farman, Patterson, Lough, Grieve, Morris, Bertram, Marwood (sub McCrudden 89), Doninger, Danquah (sub Neary 87), McLaughlin, Godsmark. Subs: Taylor, Bath, Mullen.

DERBY U-18s: Atkins, Johnson, Dudley, Booth, Beardsley, Richards, Mills, Keane, Amory, Simmons, Robertson (sub Loesch 73). Subs: Ujcik, Severn.

Referee: I Patton.