9 mins: Ranger shot 1-0

12 mins: Lovenkrands penalty 2-0

Half time: mackems 0 Magpies 2

61 mins: Ryan Taylor shot 3-0

87 mins: Cook penalty 3-1

Full time: mackems 1 Magpies 3

Peter Beardsley celebrated victory in his first competitive game in charge, saying:  

“I was absolutely delighted from the first minute until the last. There was plenty of ability out there for us but it was the attitude of the players and their application that shone through.

"I could not have asked for more from them and even if the result had not gone our way in the end I still would have said the same. For them to play so well in front of the boss was great.  

"It was also a derby and that was the first thing I told the lads. It doesn’t matter if it’s an under-7s game or a senior game, you want to win the derby.”

Debutant Sol Campbell added:

"It went really well and it was a great result. It's just great to be playing football again - heading, tackling, moving the ball. Just being out there again is fantastic. I think 45 minutes was enough. Next week there's another (reserve) game so hopefully I can get 60/70 minutes and keep working hard in between it.

"It's getting better. I'm working hard and these games help. You keep working hard on the training field, concentrate on that, and you start feeling the benefits when you start playing. I was a bit blowey for the first 10 minutes, but it soon comes back to you and it was good to feel the ball again in a competitive match. I’ll be pushing to play in the Blackpool game in a couple of weeks."

mackem coach Keith Bertschin commented:

"It doesn't matter how much possession you have, if you don't defend your goal properly you can get undone. Their boy Ranger up front was strong, we didn't deal with it quickly enough and all of a sudden after a couple of lapses and before you know where you are you're two-nil down. That's tough to come back from.

"That was disappointing because we had a lot of the play, but obviously if we keep allowing goals in it's hard for us to win football matches. The players are all playing for different reasons. One or two are playing for fitness, one or two haven't played at all and the young ones are getting used to playing against men.

"There were some good young performances but unfortunately their centre forward dominated our centre half. I thought George McCartney did well and showed a terrific attitude at the back, but we must start from the back. Clean sheets give you a chance as opposed to balls being pumped through the middle of us and us not dealing with them.

"This was a big game. The players are bitterly disappointed, as we all are, but now we must move on and learn from this."

Newcastle reserves began their season on Tuesday night with victory in a match that they dominated, despite playing for almost an hour with just ten men.

On the attack from the first whistle, Peter Beardsley's side forced a series of corners before taking a ninth minute lead with a quick break upfield out of defence. Debutant Sol Campbell's clearance found Nile Ranger and he outstripped the mackem defence before swapping passes with Peter Lovenkrands and ramming the return past Trevor Carson in the home goal.

And within three minutes the Magpies had doubled their advantage, when Ranger was upended by Carson in the box - although the 'keeper was only yellow-carded. Peter Lovenkrands struck from the spot.

At the other end, Tim Krul was called into action on 18 minutes to block a Ryan Noble shot, before a moment of madness from Xisco looked to have given the home side a route back into the match.

Referee Tony Harrington showed a straight red card seven minutes before the break, after the Spaniard appeared to kick out at a mackem in an off-the-ball incident. That lands the former Deportivo La Coruna player - for whom no sale or loan departure proved to be forthcoming in the transfer window - with a three-match ban. 

Holding out until the break, United then replaced Campbell with Ben Tozer, the former England man having served up a decent performance and looked in control throughout.

The expected response from the home side saw them strike a post within two minutes of the restart, but it was United who extended their lead just after the hour mark - to the delight of the travelling support behind the goal.

Ranger's run into the box was halted by a defender, but Carson handled a back pass and was penalised by the referee. Quick thinking by Lovenkrands saw him place the ball and knock the free kick sideways, for Ryan Taylor to steam in and knock the ball into an empty net - as the slack-jawed mackem defence stood motionless.

With the majority of fans having departed, there was a busy finish to the game, Newcastle substitute Phil Airey seeing his goalbound effort scooped away after a strong run from James Tavernier - impressive tonight, having been restored to his usual position of right back.

The mackems then reduced the arrears on 87 minutes, Jordan Cook shooting home from the spot after Matthew Grieve upended an attacker. And although they were to strike the woodwork again before the finish, the result only partly reflected United's dominance.

Had they kept 11 players on the field, this could have been a real Premier Possing..... 

Mackems (a) - Premier Reserve League record:
(all games at stadium of plight unless stated)

2010/11 won 3-1 Ranger, Lovenkrands, R.Taylor
2008/09 won 2-1 Ranger, Godsmark (Eppleton CW)  
2007/08 drew 2-2 Godsmark, Doninger
2005/06 drew 1-1 Huntington (Durham City)
2004/05 lost 1-2 McClen (Durham City)
2003/04 won 3-1 Chopra, Dabizas, Orr (Durham City)
2002/03 lost 0-1 No scorer
2001/02 won 2-0 McMenamin, Cort
2000/01 lost 1-3 Bonvin
1999/00 drew 1-1 Marcelino

Biffa

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