Newcastle United U-18s 0, Middlesbrough U-18s 0

Jan 28 2008 The Journal

NEWCASTLE’S improving Academy side remain unbeaten in 2008 after they played out a largely uneventful FA Premier Academy League derby stalemate.

Chances were at a premium at a windswept Little Benton where the conditions made good football difficult, though United could have won it in the last five minutes of each half.

Middlesbrough had the bulk of the possession in the first half and Mark Cook had to smother at the feet of Nathan Bonar early on.

But it was Newcastle who should have taken a half-time lead. Hungarian Tamas Kadar whipped in a great ball from the left only for the unmarked James Marwood to miss.

A draw was a fair result but United almost claimed all three points in the last two minutes of the game as Patrick McLaughlin’s corner saw Mattie Grieve’s powerful header tipped over before a Danny Leadbitter cross rebounded off the bar.

NEWCASTLE: Cook, Leadbitter, Kadar, Morris, Grieve, Tozer, Marwood, McLaughlin, Neary (Bell 86), Danquah, McCrudden (Bath 61). Subs: (not used) Wrightson, Taylor.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Atkinson, Hillerby, Furness, Smallwood, Robinson, Saiko, Harris (Franks 57), Burton, Bonar (Martin 24), White, Cronesberry (Porritt 57). Subs: (not used) Steele, Bennett.