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Referee:  tbc

Teams: 

NUFC: (normal home kit) Karelse, Charvet (McGuffie 59 mins), Serrant, Caldwell S, Caldwell G, McClen, Kerr, Gavilan (Hamilton 76 mins), Glass, Ameobi, Coppinger. 
Subs n/u: Boyd, Beharall, McMahon.

MFC:  Beresford, Stamp (Kell 65 mins). Moore (Kilgannon 46 mins), Stockdale, Baker, Hanson, Marinelli, Mustoe, Armstrong, Maddison, Hudson. 
Subs: Grange, Jones, Cade.

3 mins. Tubby Phil Stamp wobbled through into the United area, but the onrushing Karelse safely smothered his shot. 
11 mins.  More Boro pressure, as Marinelli and Stamp combined down the right to send Hudson in on goal, but again Karelse was well-placed to bundle the attempt round the post.
20 mins. A long pass down the left wing by Charvet put McClen in a 1 on 1 with the keeper, but he chose to allow the 50/50 ball to drop and be cleared by Beresford.
21 mins. An audible gasp from the stand, as Serrant made a perfectly-timed and vital tackle in the United box to deny Alun Armstrong a goal against his old team. Armstrong ended up in a heap and received treatment on the field. Onlookers concurred that this was the first tackle in the penalty area made by Serrant since he gave away that penalty at Everton....in October 1998.
27 mins. Disaster for Newcastle, as an inswinging Stamp corner made contacted with the raised hand of Gary Caldwell. While brother Steve argued with the ref that a Boro attacker had been guilty of pushing, Gary was shown the yellow card. Marinelli scored from the spot. 1-0   
30 mins. Almost an equaliser for United, as they pushed the visitors back, and Gavilan found space down the right to fire in a good cross at pace. Coppinger and a defender slid in to meet it, with a Boro boot connecting and sending the ball onto the post. Glass fouled the 'keeper in his haste to pickup the rebound.    
36 mins. The smoggies created problems for themselves when Beresford inexplicably picked up a back pass. Unfortunately the recent good run Gavilan has enjoyed came to an end, and he skied his free kick out of the ground, almost over the rugby posts in the adjacent practice field. Somehow the referee made a corner out of this - the ball must have hit a Teesside pigeon in flight....
38 mins. United hit back with a stunningly simple and brilliantly executed equaliser. A long ball down the left touchline from Gary Caldwell saw James Coppinger run on before twisting inside a defender and firing home a memorable drive from the corner of the penalty area. 1-1
42 mins. Further impressive attacking endeavour from the home side, with Shola Ameobi neatly turning a defender outside the area before letting fly with a shot that the keeper was grateful to see go straight into his chest. 
44 mins. Only the alertness of Karelse prevented Newcastle falling to a sucker punch, with Stamp and Marinelli slicing through the defence to release Robbie Stockdale. He looked a certain scorer, but quick reactions from the big Dutchman saw him stop the shot with his feet.  
  
Halftime: NUFC 1 MFC 1

50 mins A burst by Stephen Glass into space towards the left corner flag saw him overplay his ball, but Serrant did well to keep the ball on the field before finding Ameobi in the box. Without any hesitation he smacked it home into a narrow gap in the top left hand corner between 'keeper and post. 2-1.
54 mins More home pressure, this time an intelligent layoff by McClen allowed Gavilan to centre from the right. Coppinger made ground to get in a first time shot, but was unable to keep it down.
62 mins Evidence of the confidence displayed by Newcastle and the improved form of Stephen Glass, when the Scotsman back-heeled a pass into the path of Coppinger and he placed it on the head of the centrally-positioned Ameobi. However he frustratingly wasted the chance and nodded it to the 'keeper.
63 mins. More action involving Serrant, as he swerved round a defender to deliver a cross to the far post. Ameobi stretched to pull the ball back, but Coppinger made a vain attempt to and get a shot on target, putting it over the bar again.
68 mins. Ameobi popped up on the left and delivered another good centre, which appeared to be dropping on the far side of the Boro area, before Kerr brought a save from Beresford with a good shot from an acute angle.
76 mins.  One of only two mistakes Karelse made all night ultimately denied Newcastle an opening victory, when he came to meet a cross but crucially failed to clear cleanly. Neil Maddison was perfectly placed to stab home the loose ball, which trickled over the unguarded line and nestled in the corner of the United net. 2-2.
84 mins. Serrant made a spectacular attempt to crown an impressive performance (that had one or two club scouts writing in their notebooks) with a first time volley from 30 yards, on target but again straight at the keeper.
87 mins. Nearly a total disaster in the home defence, as a loose throw from Karelse fell nicely for Armstrong, who dribbled round the keeper, and squared the ball from the left hand side across the United six yard box. Serrant again though was alert to the threat and brought it safely clear. 

Final Score: NUFC 2 MFC 2

Waffle: 

Welcome to Kingston Park, a.ka. Little Italy. There was definitely a hint of menace in the air, what with the appearance of local hacks in sharp suits and the teams being serenaded with the theme tune to the Soprano's", and the Godfather himself, Bobby Robson took his seat as the Smoggies got things underway for another season of Premier Reserve League (North) action. 

Again, Tommy Craig's boys put on a good show for the home crowd as they played an intelligent midfield game, making good use of forward running by the defence. A couple of belting goals could have been joined by more, but equally the visitors could have been one or two in front before they opened the scoring. 5-3 to the toon wouldn't have been an inappropriate result.

All of which begs the question, where the hell was everyone ? Taking off the handful of smoggies and club guests, just over 700 of the rank and file bothered to turn out for a local derby on a fine August night. Surely not everyone was at home goggling at Didi Hamann getting sent off on Sky ? 

Granted, Kingston Park is a World away from St.James' in creature comforts, but it's not that inaccesible - bus route past the door, metro within walking distance, car park adjacent. I can't decide whether it is the advance ticket thing or people are just generally apathetic nowadays. It can't be the cost surely; 46,000 people, the majority of whom live in the North East are entitled to collect a ticket to see these games. 

For those of you who didn't bother, you missed a good night. Coppinger is worth watching in his current goalscoring form, Ameobi is entertaining in a Paolo Wanchope manner - totally unpredictable - brilliant then awful, and Glass managed to hit one of the goals of the season for the first team, 48 hours after playing for the stiffs, so he must have done something to impress uncle Bob. One or both of the Caldwell brothers will play at first team level for Newcastle and Scotland, Kerr is good enough to make the bench of the first team and Gavilan has improved markedly since his brief outings in the Premiership last season. Even Serrant earned his money on this performance !

Next time out at Kingston Park it's the mackems (Sept 11th). If you can tear yourself away from Spurs v West Ham on the magic lantern, pick up your ticket in the club shop  before the Chelsea home game two days previously, and i'll see you there.

Of course it'll be snowing by then.   

lBiffa