40 mins Amadou Diallo penalty 1-0

Half time: Town U21s 0 Toon U21s 1

67 mins Nathan Pond header 1-1

Full time: Town U21s 1 Toon U21s 1

Following a slightly bizarre night in Lancashire, Newcastle U21s retain a mathematical chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Premier League Cup - despite remaining winless after completing five of their six group stage ties.

The first meeting with Fleetwood last month fell victim to winter weather conditions at Chorley, with a second attempt on Wednesday night then thwarted by a waterlogged pitch at Town's own Highbury Stadium.

In desperation, permission was granted by the PL for the Shawbridge home of Northern Premier League side Clitheroe to host the tie, despite it being some 40 miles away from Fleetwood and with a floodlight rating below that usually accepted for this competition.    

A sparse crowd with as many Toon followers as Town fans and a scattering of curious locals paid their £5 (£3 for Clitheroe kids) to witness a tie beginning at a furious pace but short of goalmouth action at either end. 

That changed in the 40th minute when smart work from United's Amadou Diallo found Ben Parkinson in the box and he was shoved in the back by Will Johnson.

Referee Jamie O'Connor pointed to the spot and Diallo fired his penalty confidently past Tom Donaghy - opposite number Reece Byrne denying Kyle White a minute before the break to protect the lead.

The visitors came close to extending their advantage five minutes after the restart when defender Cathal Heffernan headed Diallo's free-kick narrowly wide.

However Newcastle allowed their opponents a way back into the tie midway through the second period; Byrne making a failed attempt to collect a free-kick from the right flank and leaving Nathan Pond a simple header.

The 39 year-old player/coach was on the field after Fleetwood took advantage of the over-age rule - although Pond's advanced years were compensated by Town team-mate Pele Smith from the U16 side! 

Newcastle's lead was almost restored in remarkable fashion a minute later when a free-kick from the right was headed past his own 'keeper by Harry Wilson, only to rebound back off the post to safety.

Needing a win to enhance flagging prospects of qualification, United made a treble change before referee O'Connor became the centre of attention on 81 minutes as Town were reduced to ten men.

Kyle White was booked for retaliation after failing to win a free kick for what he thought was a foul against him seconds earlier, Wilson then moaning at the referee as that card was shown - and promptly earning himself a second yellow himself, presumably for bad language.

That numerical advantage saw United's pressing become more frantic as the clock ticked down; substitute Trevan Sanusi operating wide on the right and benefiting from the substantial slope on that side of the pitch to hurtle downhill into the Town area on several occasions.

One of those runs saw him fire across goal in the fifth minute of time added on when well placed, although a raised offside flag spared his blushes.Fellow Magpie substitute Ellis Stanton then scooped his effort over the bar a minute later before the full-time whistle sounded.

A point left Ben Dawson's side bottom of the table but still in with a slight chance of advancing if they can win their final tie away to Nottingham Forest on Monday night and Fleetwood draw with Huddersfield at Clitheroe 24 hours later.

That hardly seems likely given our poor sequence of results in this competition and a 0-3 loss on Tyneside to a Forest side already confirmed as group winners, unless that causes them to field a weakened line-up.

And not only do United need three points - they are also four goals adrift of Fleetwood, who play in the Professional Development League, below our PL2 level.

Biffa