Newcastle United U21s winless run continues but it was a spirited performance from Ben Dawson's side in the Tyne-Tees derby. The Magpies had their backs against the wall in the opening stages but ended both halves strong.
The youngsters showed some signs of promise once they survived an early Boro onslaught and have two games of Premier League 2 Division 2 to end the campaign on a strong footing. The Toon have not won since October but were bright enough this evening.
Here's a look at the key talking points from tonight's game.
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Strong end to the first-half
It was a tough start to the game for Ben Dawson's young Magpies who struggled with the early intensity of the visitors. Middlesbrough dictated proceedings and an overload down the right-hand side cause problems for Matty Bondswell who had to deal with George Gitau's rampaging runs from right-back and the runs in behind of Nathan Simpson.
The visitors fashioned two good opportunities in the opening stages of the game with their right-hand side dangerous. Simpson put in a number of threatening crosses, with Jeremy Sivi a threat in the air.
The Boro frontman forced Max Thompson into a good save, backtracking towards his own goal, before Sivi then tried his luck from range. The Magpies goalkeeper got down well to his right to turn the low drive from the edge of the box round the post.
However, Thompson stood no chance for Boro's best chance of the first-half just 15 minutes in. Remi Savage's clearance was latched on by Gitau who took a touch to set himself, firing a fierce drive from 25-yards out goal bound, skimming the crossbar on it's way over.
Once Newcastle got to grips with the press, they started to impose themselves on the game. Rodrigo Vilca was lively inside the opening 45 minutes, but needed to get on the ball more in the final third.
A deep cross fell to him on the edge of the six just a minute after Boro skimmed the bar, but he opted to take a touch and was smothered by visiting defenders. Lewis Miley showed good composure moments later inside the area, trying to find his brother with a cutback in the 18-yard box but that was blocked and fell back into his path, his second attempt then cleared.
The younger Miley brother is highly thought of on Tyneside and when he got on the ball he tried to make things tick. He won the ball in a good area to spring a dangerous counter-attack, rolling in Turner-Cooke on the right flank, who in turn played Ben Parkinson behind the Boro back line.
The young Newcastle striker tried to pick out Vilca in the middle but Boro's Metcalfe got down to smother. The Magpies had penalty appeals waved away by referee Ed Duckworth with Turner-Cooke going down inside the area.
The Toon winger also grew into the game as the half wore on, his dangerous cross into the area not cleared by Boro and bundled into the net by Parkinson, but ruled out for offside. Not deterred by his goal behind chalked off, Parkinson beat the offside trap and burst down the left-flank, rolling it into Turner-Cooke but Metcalfe pulled off a great save down low.
Impressive second-half press
Unlike the first-half where Newcastle allowed Middlesbrough to play out from the back, they got to grips with their press and forced Boro back towards their own goal. There were a number of occasions where the young Magpies won the ball up high and went close.
Twice Amadou Diallo was played in down the left with Boro defenders scrambling. The first time the former West Ham youngster got his cross all wrong after being played in behind by Vilca.
The Toon winger was starting to get the better of Gitau - who had impressed for Boro in the opening 45 minutes - getting the wrong side of the defender and raced through one-on-on but his low drive was kept out by Metcalfe.
Versatile Ben Parkinson impressing
Ben Parkinson impressed for the young Magpies despite failing to score. The young 18-year-old has been a mainstay in Dawson's side since making the step up to the Under-21s and was lively throughout.
Parkinson had the ball in the net inside the first-half but it was ruled out for offside, before setting up Turner-Cooke with a great run, beating the offside trap. He led the line well by himself for the opening 68 minutes before moving out onto the right flank with substitute Michael Ndiweni going through the middle.
Parkinson was strong in the air in the latter stages of the game causing problem for Boro, but the Magpies were unable to force a late winner.
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