Newcastle United U21s picked up their second straight Premier League 2 win but were made to work hard by Nottingham Forest. A double from Josh Scott proved decisive, although a header from Loic Mbe Soh in the closing stages led to a nervy finale on Friday night.
Elliott Dickman named three changes from the side who earned a goalless draw at Doncaster Rovers in the Papa John's Trophy. Matty Bondswell, Niall Brookwell and Josh Scott came into the team, with Jordan Hackett dropping to the bench and both James Huntley and Michael Ndiweni not included in the squad.
Scott opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, reacting quickest to a rebound after Remi Savage saw his header saved. Forest missed chances to level before the break, and were made to rue these misses when a slip from goalkeeper George Shelvey presented Scott with a simple tap-in.
READ MORE: Newcastle United U21s 2-1 Nottingham Forest U21s as it happened
Having missed a number of one-one-ones, it was defender Mbe Soh who reduced the arrears with an unmarked header from a corner. But despite late pressure from Forest, Newcastle held on and here are three things we learned from the win at Whitley Park.
Classy Turner-Cooke
It was a tough evening for United's midfield as they struggled to fashion openings. The first goal from a set-piece, while the second came from an unfortunate slip for the visiting goalkeeper.
However, it was another confident display from Turner-Cooke. The former Sunderland prospect was one of the few to show consistent quality in possession.
Turner-Cooke regularly drifted into pockets of space out wide, and looked to drift infield onto his left foot. The teenager did not get everything right, with an ambitious second-half volley proving to be a poor choice.
However, Turner-Cooke often showed the technical ability which has caught the eye of Eddie Howe. The midfielder insists he is keen to 'impress' the head coach at every turn, and he backed up a fine display at Doncaster with another assured performance on Friday night.
Smith shines
Smith kept clean sheets in his last two appearances, and was a man determined from the outset to make it three in a row. The first-half often represented a personal duel between the goalkeeper and visiting striker Dave Taylor.
The number nine kept finding space in behind the Magpies defence, and was let down by a poor touch or finish on a couple of occasions. However, the striker was also stopped by Smith several times, with the United shot-stopper coming out well to smother the ball.
There was also smart first-half save to deny Ateef Konate with a dive low to his right. Smith had to get down low just before the hour-mark to turn away a fierce drive from Julian Larsson.
In the end, the goalkeeper was beaten as Mbe Soh was allowed time and space to guide a header beyond his reach. It was poor finishing from Forest at times, but it was also thanks to Smith that the Magpies were able to grind out the win.
Magpies ride the luck
Newcastle came away with the result, but this display was a far cry from the four-goal thrashing of Derby County in their last outing on home soil. Forest posed a constant menace throughout, and on another night could have won this clash comfortably.
While the hosts struggle to create chances playing through the lines, the visitors found joy in behind on a regular basis. On the counter or with a simple long ball, Forest created enough more than enough chances to earn their first Premier League 2 win of the season.
Taylor was guilty of spurning chances in the first-half, while Smith produced a series of fine saves throughout. When the goalkeeper looked set to be beaten in the first-half, Alex Murphy was on hand to head the goalbound effort clear.
Forest finally converted one of their openings to set up a nervy finish to the game, with Mbe Soh finding the corner with a free header. But in the end, it was profligate finishing and a goalkeeper error which allowed Newcastle to pick up another three points.
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