BLACKBURN ROVERS U-18S 0
NEWCASTLE UNITED U-18s 2
Premier Academy League
Saturday, April 5, 2008

Italian teenager Fabio Zamblera hit his first Newcastle goal to set the under-18s on the road to a fine Academy win at Blackburn.

Zamblera sent Rovers keeper Bjorn Bussman the wrong way with a well-struck penalty low into the right corner after a 15^th-minute Kris Paterson foul on Zamblera's strike partner Ryan Donaldson.

United went on to produced one of their best performances of the season to control the game and seal the points with a second goal from midfielder Paddy McLaughlin 15 minutes from time.

Jonny Godsmark played a clever through-ball for McLaughlin that tempted Bussman to race out to the edge of his box, but McLaughlin got there first to lift a left-foot lob over the stranded keeper into the gaping net.

McLaughlin had been out of luck in the 26^th minute when he fired Frank Danquah's right-wing cross against the top of the bar.

United's Swedish keeper Ole Soderberg was barely troubled after a first-minute near-post save from Rovers' winger Josh Morris.

Zamblera, signed from Atalanta in January and who is 18 on Monday, teamed up well with England youngster Donaldson throughout and set up his partner for a 17^th-minute chance which Donaldson fired narrowly wide.

Donaldson could also have hit the target in the first minute of the second half but lifted Godsmark's cross over the bar from six yards.

UNITED: Soderberg, Newton, Morris, Taylor, Patterson, Godsmark, Danquah, McLaughlin, Ferguson, Zamblera, Donaldson. Subs not used: Wrightson, Neary, Bath.