Newcastle United Reserves won the Northumberland Senior Cup last night but t,he game went to penalties after extra time found the teams level at 1-1.
Newcastle youngsters celebrate after penalty shoot-out win
The game ended after 90 minutes without a goal, and it was Blyth who took the lead just 4 minutes into extra time. Andrew Leeson tapped the ball home after Peter Snowdon had headed Adrian Webster’s free-kick across the goal.
But within 60 seconds Kazenga LuaLua shot home a tremendous goal, with a 25-yard bullet shot, well beyond former Newcastle youngster Adam Bartlet in the Blyth goal.
The game went to penalties and it was Geordie midfielder and local lad Mark Doninger, who scored the all important penalty to win the trophy for Newcastle Reserves. Of course first team manager Kevin Keegan was in attendance, as he is for all the Reserve games, since he arrived back at the club.
It was an even, if largely forgettable first half, but Ben Tozer was at fault with a weak back-pass that 18 year old Hungarian Tamas Kadar rescued with a perfectly timed tackle to relieve the situation.
The second-half wasn’t much better than the first, and French youngster Ngo Baheng was stretchered off following a heavy tackle from Blyth’s Snowdon, after just 10 minutes into the half.
Newcastle almost won it with the last kick of the 90 minutes when Ryan Donaldson just missed, after being beautifully set up by Jonny Godsmark in a breakaway.
In extra time Leeson and LuaLua got their goals before Blyth’s Garry Brown almost snatched the winner with Fraser Forster just saving his shot, near the end of extra time.
It was then Forster’s excellent save in the penalty shootout from goalscorer Leeson, which set-up Mark Doninger with a chance to grab the glory, and the young Geordie made no mistake.
And the youngsters then went wild as the photograph above shows. 😀
Teams:
Newcastle Reserves; Fraser Forster, Callum Morris, Darren Lough (Matthew Grieve, 91m) Mark Doninger, Ben Tozer, Tamas Kadar, Jonny Godsmark, James Troisi (James Marwood, 62m), Ryan Donaldson, Wesley Ngo Baheng (Frank Wiafe Danquah, 57m), Kazenga LuaLua
Subs not used: Ole Soderberg, Shane Ferguson
Blyth Spartans: Adam Bartlett, Ben Christensen, Kenny Boyle (Peter Snowdon, 46m), Andrew Leeson, Gareth Williams, Garry Brown, Adrian Webster, Chris McCabe, Robert Dale (Ged Dalton, 90m) Stephen Birks, Martin Houlahan (Andrew Johnson, 71m)
5 comments so far
ScottyT
Apr 24, 2008 at 2:28 AM
Comment #1good to see the reserves winning the cup with the average age that low in the squad but yes it is non league clubs.
about modric telegraph got their story out…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/04/24/sfnnew124.xml
h8 the daily telegraph. stirred sh1t for us all season and slagged us and kk off in that bad spell we had. h8 the press!! wat a signing modric would be mind.
Ausgeordie
Apr 24, 2008 at 2:38 AM
Comment #2Great to see!! A winning mentality starts at the bottom and these kids are our future and look like a talented bunch. I like the sounds of Johnny Godsmark. He sounds like an old RAF pilot.
tdt
Apr 24, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Comment #3the sign of things to come.. i hope… silverware that is… although the FA cup or sowt Final will (probably…) be harder than Blyth!
Whumpie
Apr 24, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Comment #4Good to know the joke about the burglars in the NUFC trophy room escaping with a black and white carpet is a little less true today…
Really excited about this reserves squad. I went to see them play last season and was very impressed with Lua Lua. Carroll less so – but I think that was just an off day.
I’d recommend watching reserves matches to anyone, by the way – much more personal and good entertainment for your money.
Leo
Apr 24, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Comment #5good that we won, i just hope baheng is not a bad injury