Quakers unlucky to lose to Newcastle at the Arena

By Ray Simpson

Quakers unlucky to lose to Newcastle at the Arena

Darlington 1 Newcastle United Under 23s 2Quakers were unlucky to lose against two talented Newcastle...

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Darlington 1 Newcastle United Under 23s 2

Quakers were unlucky to lose against two talented Newcastle teams at the Arena tonight.

Newcastle fielded two different teams in the game, but apart from five minutes in the first half, Quakers more than held their own

 

Quakers include two triallists in their starting line up for this big friendly against Newcastle United Under 23s

Darlington:

Jameson, Hunter, Ferguson, Turnbull, Collins, Galbraith, Trailist A, Syers, Trialist B, Cartman, Caton

 

Newcastle United Under 23s first half

Harker, Williams, Cameron, Hunter, Good, O'Connor, El-Mhanni, Barlaser, Toney, Longstaff, Smith

 

Quakers were the first to really threaten on 5 minutes when new signing James Caton dribbled past two defenders into the area, but he couldn't get enough power behind his shot and Newcastle keeper Nathan Harker saved.

Caton was involvedagain a minute later when triallist a pulled the back for Caton, whose low shot was saved by Harker.

And Quakers were back again when David Syers pounced on a poor clearance by Harker, but the keeper recovered quickly and saved the midfielder's return effort.

But Newcastle took the lead on 9 minutes when Callum Smith got away down the left and squared the ball for Sean Longstaff, who sidestepped a defender and beat Peter Jameson with a right foot shot.

And the Magpies made it 2-0 on 11 minutes when Ivan Toney turned quickly on a left wing cross, and beat Jameson with a left foot shot into the roof of the net.

Quakers bounced back and nearly reduced the deficit on 22 minutes. Triallist A played the ball forward to Cartman, who then laid it off for Syers to hit a first time shot towards the bottom corner that Harker saved well low down.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty on 24 minutes when Jameson brought down Toney in the area, but Jameson guessed correctly and blocked Toney's spot kick low down to his right.

Quakers deservedly pulled a goal back on 26 minutes when Cartman made a great run forward, pulled two defenders towards him and set up triallist B (who has Football League and National League experience) who slotted the ball across Harker into the net.

Triallist B nearly equalised when Triallist A made a good run and set him up 10 yards out, but Harker blocked his shot, and when the ball came back in from the right, Triallist A headed just wide.

Triallist B had a goal disallowed just on the half time whistle for offside after Cartman set him up.

Half time Darlington 1 Newcastle 2

Second half Newcastle team

Huuhtanen, Newberry, Yarney, Findlay, Gillesphey, Kitchen, Ward, Smith, Juanito, Gallacher, Charman.

 

Quakers also made some subs, with Arran Wearmouth, Harvey Saunders, Liam Marrs and Gary Brown amongst those coming on to the field. Saunders nearly levelled when he won the ball in the Newcastle box and had a shot charged down, while at the other end Liam Marrs cleared off the line from Smith.

A delicate chip by David Ferguson from the left dropped just over the top, then triallist C had a goal harshly disallowed for offside when he curled a free kick in from 20 yards.

Saunders charged down a clearance by Huutanen but his attempt from an acute angle was cleared off the line, as Quakers took control of the game in the last 20 minutes, but they couldn't break through for the equaliser..

Attendance 1,775