The 50,000+ fans who didn't take their seats at SJP on Monday night missed out on the most entertaining 90 minutes of football that the ground has seen all season.

In the end the spoils were shared, partly due to some questionable refereeing but mostly due to the attacking instincts of both sides and no lack of effort and skill.

Referee Ross Joyce awarded the visitors a penalty on 13 minutes, when the ball struck Cacapa on the hand from point-blank range. Fraser Forster went the right way but couldn't keep Federico Macheda's effort out.

The visitors were forced into a change on 27 minutes, when goalkeeper Ron Robert Zieler was unable to continue, breaking his arm as he collided with Xisco when reaching a cross.

Zieler gave way to Conor Devlin and he unwittingly kept his side ahead on 40 minutes as Wesley Baheng's goalbound shot bounced up off him and over the crossbar.

Devlin could do nothing though two minutes before the break though, when Newcastle were awarded a penalty of their own after Xisco was sandwiched by two visiting defenders.

Fit again after a toe problem curtailed his reserve debut, the Spanish striker made it three goals in just two games as he dummied the 'keeper to slot home confidently.

That goal was reward for an encouraging passage of play from Newcastle, who recovered well from going behind and started to dominate proceedings without fashioning any genuine goalscoring chances. 

Before the break though, the dangerous Machedo struck a post and then fired over the bar within a minute - giving ample notice that his work for the evening wasn't over.

Danny Guthrie had impressed on his return after a ten week absence through injury and after good work from Baheng, the midfielder found Jonny Godsmark with a pinpoint pass on 49 minutes.

The right winger played in Mark Doninger, who drove home an angled shot from six yards to continue a remarkable recent scoring record that's seen him notch seven goals in his last five reserve outings.

Newcastle went in search of a third goal and almost got it from an unlikely source just before the hour, when Shane Ferguson spotted Devlin off his line and tried a snap shot from edge of the box that thudded back off the upright.

Substitute Frank Danquah then appeared to replace Xisco and almost made an instant impact when playing in Nile Ranger, only for the striker to put his shot wide.

Back came the visitors though and Machedo found space behind our defence, with the Italian teenager steering the ball beyond Forster to make it 2-2. 

Danny Guthrie seemed to have capped his comeback with the winner when he strode forward to crack a low 20-yard shot into the bottom corner of the Gallowgate goal with just seven minutes remaining.

However that man Macheda completed his hat-trick on 89 minutes, thanks to a first-time strike from an equally fine ball into the box - and in added time came agonisingly close to heading home before being flagged offside.

In the end though, those who turned out were rewarded with fine entertainment as Newcastle extended their unbeaten record to seven league and cup games.

And with Cacapa, Xisco and Guthrie all getting valuable pitch time, their return gives United some added options for their remaining first team games - in particular Guthrie, who was straining at the leash and up for the fight. Now why didn't Michael Owen have a run out?

Red Devils Reserves in Toon - Premier Years:

2008/09: drew 3-3 Xisco, Doninger, Guthrie (1,277)
2007/08: drew 1-1 Emre (2,839)
2006/07 won 2-0 Edgar, Carroll (749*)
2005/06 won 2-0 Chopra 2 (1,235*)
2004/05 lost 0-3 (1,544*)
2003/04 lost 0-4 (3,102*)
2002/03 lost 1-2 Ambrose (3,068)
2001/02 won 5-2 L. LuaLua 2, Bernard, S.Caldwell, McMenamin (1,827*)
2000/01 won 2-1 Bonvin, S.Caldwell (1,448*)
1999/00 won 2-0 Robinson, Coppinger (2,610)

(All at SJP, except * at Kingston Park).