NEWCASTLE UNITED RES 1
MANCHESTER CITY RES 1
Premier Reserve League North
St.James' Park
Monday, February 11, 2008
Kick-off 7pm

GEORDIE striker Andy Carroll was again on target as Adam Sadler's second-string made it three games without defeat against an experienced Man City side which included eight first-team members.

The 19-year-old fired a hat-trick in last month's 5-0 demolition of North East rivals Middlesbrough and made it four for the season with a well taken second-half strike in front of the watching Kevin Keegan.

And it was Carroll who came closest to opening the scoring for the hosts on six minutes as his low shot from the angle of the penalty box narrowly evaded Andreas Isaksson's far post.

Shola Ameobi, who played for 84 minutes, saw a similar effort skid wide of the opposite post five minutes later as United enjoyed much the better of the early exchanges.

But it was the visitors who had the best chance of the half, Felipe Caicedo wrestling free of Ben Tozer's challenge inside the area before seeing his close range toe-poke diverted around the post by the outstretched foot of Fraser Forster.

The Magpies broke downfield from the resulting corner and Ameobi saw a low, side-footed effort saved with relative ease by Iskasson after Kazenga LuaLua had carried the ball all of 50 yards before teeing-up the Nigerian-born frontman.

Carroll's goal eventually arrived on 54 minutes, the England under-19 star capitalising upon Michael Daly's weak, headed backpass before cooly rounding Isaksson and rolling into an empty net.

Forster produced a save of the highest order to deny Emile Mpenza on 72 minutes after the City striker had been played through on goal by Clayton McDonald's long ball forward.

But, having been denied a goal of his own, the Belgian turned provider for substitute Valerie Bojinov eight minutes later, the Bulgarian finishing off with a left-foot shot after Mpenza had pulled back from the by-line.

Bojinov, a £5.75m summer arrival from Fiorentina, had a good chance to win it for the visitors but headed wide from just six yards out after Karl Moore had picked him out at the far post.

The game also marked a St.James' Park debut for January signings Ben Tozer and Tamas Kadar.

NUFC: Fraser Forster, Callum Morris, Tamas Kadar, Mark Doninger (Patrick McLaughlin, 90m) David Edgar, Ben Tozer, Kazenga LuaLua, James Troisi, Andy Carroll, Wesley Ngo Baheng, Shola Ameobi (Ryan Donaldson, 84m)
Subs not used: Darren Lough, Ole Soderberg, James Marwood

MCFC: Andreas Isaksson, Curtis Obeng (Clayton McDonald, 19m), Javier Garrido, Sun Jihai, Garry Breen, Michael Johnson (Michael Daly, 45m). Shaleum Logan, Geovanni Gomez, Emile Mpenza, Felipe Caicedo (Valeri Bojinov, 64m), Karl Moore
Subs not used: Richard Martin, Alex Nimely-Tchuimeni

Attendance: 740