11 mins Norkett shot 1-0

Half time: Forest U21s 1 Newcastle U21s 0

50 mins Alex Murphy header 1-1

53 mins Amadou Diallo penalty 1-2

Full time: Forest U21s 1 Newcastle U21s 2

Newcastle U21s rounded off their Premier League Cup group stage games on Monday evening with a first win in six attempts - but fell short of the margin of success that they required to have any chance of progression to the last 16 of the competition.

Facing a Forest side already assured of top spot and a place in the knockout stages at the North Street home of Alfreton Town, United trailed at the interval to Manni Norkett's close range strike on 11 minutes.

Defender Alex Murphy - who had rattled the woodwork early in the tie - levelled five minutes into the second half when he headed home Amadou Diallo's right wing corner before United were awarded a penalty kick that Diallo successfully dispatched beyond Aaron Bott after 53 minutes.

That proved to be the final score, temporarily lifting United into second spot, but in the knowledge that either Fleetwood Town or Huddersfield Town would replace them when they met in the final group stage tie on Tuesday. 

A 4-2 win for the Cod Army in that tie then duly confirmed their qualification and left us third.