NEWCASTLE UNITED RES 2
WHITLEY BAY 1
Northumberland Senior Cup Semi-Final (AET)
Whitley Park, Benton
Thursday, March 6, 2008

Craig Hope reports from Whitely Park ...

NEWCASTLE United reserves booked their place in the final of the Northumberland Senior Cup thanks to an extra-time strike from French teenager Wesley Ngo Baheng.

The 18-year-old, who signed from Le Havre in January, netted his first in black and white in the 99th minute to set-up a cup final showdown with Blyth Spartans.

Article continues>>

That was after former Newcastle triallist Lee Kerr had fired a dramatic injury-time equaliser to take the game to an additional 30-minute period.

And, in what was a pulsating cup tie, it was the Seahorses who should have taken the lead as early as the 3rd minute, forward Paul Chow somehow managing to miss the target from just six yards out after Kerr had centred from the left.

The game marked a full second-string debut for Italian teenager Fabio Zamblera, and the former Atalanta youngster should have grabbed a maiden goal in the 17th minute but shot wide when one-one-one with Terry Burke in the Bay goal.

But the Whitley target was breached just three minutes later, Aussie midfielder James Troisi showing a change of pace to burst through the opposition defence before coolly slotting home with what was a fine solo effort.

The Geordies dominated the opening period and Ngo Baheng should have scored long before his eventual winner, first seeing a powerful shot kept out by Burke before Mark Minto hacked his header from the line after he connected with a Mark Doninger corner.

And it was a similar story after the break as Ngo Baheng shaved a post with a 20-yard strike before Darren Lough went close with a low drive from the angle of the area having been slipped in by Kazenga LuaLua.

Whitley refused to give up and threw men forward in the dying stages in desperate search of a leveller.

And they must have thought their chance had gone when reserve team debutant Ole Soderberg pushed Kerr's close range header over the bar in the 90th minute.

But Kerr was not to be denied and, with barely seconds of injury time remaining, arrowed a 25-yard free-kick beyond the Swedish stopper.

United emerged the stronger of the two sides in extra-time and found what proved to be the winner when Ngo Baheng chipped over Burke after a clever throughball from Troisi.

Still Bay pressed and only the width of a post prevented a replay when Minto headed against the foot of the woodwork in the 120th minute.

United: Ole Soderberg, Callum Morris, Darren Lough, Mark Doninger (Mark Bertram, 62m), Ben Tozer (c), Tamas Kadar, Jonny Godsmark, James Troisi, Fabio Zamblera (Ryan Donaldson, 62m), Wesley Ngo Baheng (James Marwood, 100m), Kazenga LuaLua
Subs not used: Mark Cook, Alex Francis

Whitley: Terry Burke, Mark Taylor, Lee Picton (Brian Smith, 66m), Andy Dugdale (Brian Rowe, 64m) , David Coulson (c), Mark Minto, Chris Moore, Damon Robson, Lee Kerr, Paul Chow, Paul Robinson
Subs not used: Dean Porter, Darren Reay, Tom Kindley

Referee: Eddie Ilderton
Attendance: 884