Newcastle United Res 1 Manchester United Res 1

Apr 1 2008 by, The Journal

TURKISH midfielder Emre began his bid to prove he should remain at Newcastle United next season with an eventful evening for the reserves last night.

The former Inter Milan star, who has started just one game since Kevin Keegan returned as manager because of a niggling calf injury, looked as though his comeback would last just a matter of minutes when he was given a heavy whack on the back of the leg from rival midfielder Ritchie Jones.

Emre limped off the pitch and looked in some pain, but eventually returned to score a wonderful solo effort, playing a one-two with Wesley Ngo Baheng before dragging the ball back out of the reach of the covering defender and lashing it into the bottom corner.

Keegan and his assistant Terry McDermott were clearly impressed with the moment of individual brilliance, although they will have been rather less happy with Emre’s dissent when he picked up a needless booking for kicking the ball away in protest at a referee’s decision.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old, who is out of contract in June 2009 and has been consistently linked with a move back to his homeland, has probably done enough to earn a spot on the bench against Reading next weekend and he will have six games to show he has a part to play in Keegan’s new-look side.

Emre’s goal cancelled out Sean Evans’ strike for the visitors after he had opened the scoring inside the first minute when Newcastle goalkeeper Fraser Forster palmed Rodrigo Possebon’s low shot into his path.

Newcastle could have extended their lead before the break as both Andrew Carroll and David Edgar sent shots narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

Emre did not reappear for the second half, which was probably just as well as the game took on a rather more physical and competitive edge with four players following the Turk into the referee’s book. Worse was to follow when Richard Eckersley and Ngo Baheng were both sent off in the closing stages following an angry scuffle involving a clutch of players after the Manchester United full-back had scythed down Kazenga LuaLua.

At the other end, England international right-back Gary Neville, who is trying to force his way back into the first-team picture at Old Trafford, might have won it for the Red Devils with a header that was blocked by Ben Tozer before David Gray went even closer from the corner.

NEWCASTLE RESERVES (4-3-3): Forster; Ramage, Diatta, Tozer, Kadar; Troisi, Emre (Marwood 46), Edgar, LuaLua, Ngo Baheng, Carroll. Subs (not used): Soderberg, Danquah, Morris, Zamblera.

MAN UTD RESERVES (4-4-2): Zieler; Neville, Chester, Cathcart, Eckersley; Gray, Jones, Possebon, Evans, Macheda, Cleverley. Subs (not used): Evans, Amos, Eikrem, Brady.