It was a match that could have easily gone either way in a frantic finish, and the wait goes on for Newcastle United under-21s' first win in 2023. However there are plenty of positives for recently-appointed boss Ben Dawson to take as his side fought back twice to claim a 2-2 draw against Leeds United on Monday night.
The young Magpies have not registered a Premier League 2 victory since October, and fell to a derby defeat in their last outing at Sunderland. Ben Parkinson's maiden strike for the second-string and a Cameron Ferguson own goal did ensure Newcastle's four-match losing run came to an end, even if a first win for Dawson in his new post remains elusive.
Leeds made a flying start to the contest, and struck first as Mateo Joseph tapped in at the far post. Newcastle were clinging on in the early exchanges, but clawed themselves level as Parkinson pounced upon a poor touch to nick the ball before firing home from range.
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It was a just reward for an intensity out of possession that has now almost become synonymous with Newcastle. Eddie Howe has installed the 'intensity is our identity' mantra into the senior setup, and this is seemingly seeping through into the academy level.
Dawson is clear in his demands to his frontline, with Amadou Diallo and Rodrigo Vilca urged to join Parkinson in the press from the first minute. It did not prevent Leeds from dominating the early stages, but it has been a sign of the new approach for the second-string in recent weeks.
The Magpies were only level for a matter of seconds, with Charlie Allen firing beyond Max Thompson to put Leeds ahead once again. Newcastle rode their luck at times, and were indebted to their goalkeeper on several occasions for preventing a likely decisive third goal.
Dawson rolled the dice and brought Michael Ndiweni off the bench to partner Parkinson in attack. With six minutes to go, Newcastle found their second equaliser of the night with smart play down the left resulting in Ferguson deflecting Matt Bondswell's low cross into his own net.
An end-to-end finale ensued, as Newcastle U21s were reduced to 10 men minutes later after Remi Savage was shown a straight red card for a foul on the edge of his own box. Ndiweni was then denied following a three-on-one counter for the hosts, before Thompson prevented Luca Thomas from snatching a stoppage-time winner for the visitors.
The draw was enough for Leeds to return to the summit of Division 2, while it may not prove to be enough for the young Magpies to kickstart their playoff push. But for Dawson, the U21s boss must surely be pleased by the response from his side, even if the search for a much-needed win rolls on with a trip to Stoke City next on the cards.
*Newcastle United U21s return to Premier League 2 action on February 24 against Stoke City. You can follow all of the updates on the young Magpies here.
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