NEWCASTLE UNITED U18s 4
CRYSTAL PALACE U18s 2
FA Youth Cup Quarter Final
St.James' Park
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Kick off 7pm

Craig Hope reports from St.James' Park ...

SECOND-HALF UPDATES (click refresh for latest)

And there blows the whistle to signal the end of an enthralling cup tie - United book their place in the Semi Final!

There will be three minutes added time.

87min - A swift United breakaway should yield a fifth but when Inman squares for Airey, just six yards from goal, the striker fails to make a clean connection with the bouncing ball allowing Palace the chance to recover and the opportunity goes begging.

86min - United make a change in a bid to play down the clock with Samuel Adjei replaced by Patrick Nzuzi.

80min - CRYSTAL PALACE GOAL (4-2): But within two minutes The Eagles spark hope of a comeback as Ibra Seakajja steals in behind the United backline before dropping an inch-perfect lob above a helpless Alnwick from 12 yards out.

78min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (4-1): James Tavernier darts infield from the right before carrying across the fringe of the penalty box and rolling a pass to Sammy Ameobi, in space inside the area. The forward cushions his first touch out of his feet before lashing an unstoppable, left-footed strike beyond Mann to all but seal the fate of this tie.

73min - United have enjoyed the company of the football for the best part of 10 minutes now and Palace simply can't get near their hosts.

71min - A crowd of 1,291 has been confirmed here inside Gallowgate.

68min - The Magpies have bossed these last five minutes or so with that midfield triumvirate of Newton, Inman and McDermott dictating the tempo of the game.

62min - Conor Newton is making United tick in the middle of the park and it's from his tidy footwork that Inman crosses to the far post where a backpedalling Holland heads away for a corner. Adjei's lofted centre eventually drops for Ameobi and the leggy frontman lashes high into the Gallowgate End from 12 yards.

56min - Randall is again thwarted by the gloves of Alnwick as this time the goalkeeper throws his frame to the base of the post to palm clear the midfielder's dipping, 20-yard free-kick.

53min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (3-1): All the pre-match talk was of Phil Airey and the Amble-born striker gets his fourth of the competition to restore the two-goal cushion; Paul Dummett breaking free in the inside left channel before atoning for his earlier penalty concession with an enticing, goalmouth centre for Airey to blast into the roof of the net from point-blank range.

52min - A thick mist continues to hover about 50 yards above the playing surface with temperatures dropping rapidly here at St.James' - just as well it's a red-hot affair and both sides are continuing to swarm forward in search of another goal.

48min - Only the fingertips of Jak Alnwick deny Palace parity as the United stopper brushes Jack Randall's top-corner bound drive from 20 yards above the crossbar. The corner is worked short and the ever-threatening Zaha lashes low through the six-yard area with no takers - that was a let-off for the hosts.

No changes during the break as United restart play attacking the Gallowgate End.

FIRST-HALF UPDATES

And so the break arrives, it's been a pulsating first half with United leading thanks to Samuel Adjei's double.

45min - United are having to stem some heavy Palace pressure here - they need half-time.

40min - CRYSTAL PALCE GOAL (2-1): Unbelievable the visitors have a second penalty within 60 seconds of Goldsmith's miss and it's the same pair of Zaha and Dummett who are involved in its award; this time the United defender chopping down his opponent as they challenged for a loose ball 10 yards out. Joe Goldsmith is undeterred by his earlier miss and steps forward to fire in the opposite corner to halve the deficit.

38min - CRYSTAL PALACE MISS PEN: Zaha and Dummett tangle in the area and what looks like a handball from the United defender results in the award of a spot-kick. Joe Goldsmith steps up and, despite placing affirmatively towards the bottom corner, a flying Jak Alnwick leaps low to claw clear - unbelievable save from the Toon stopper and his second in successive rounds!

38min - Zaha seizes upon an errant United pass midway inside the home half and accelerates away from two black-and-white shirts before being denied a goal by the shins of Jak Alnwick - good save.

34min - Jack Randall strives to locate a reply for Palace but his 25-yard drive lacks venom and is comfortably dealt with by Alnwick.

27min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (2-0): Palace full-back Kieran Kenlock, covering behind his centre-backs, tries to cushion a long punt downfield only for the ball to cannon hopelessly off his boot and straight to the feet of a grateful Samuel Adjei who nonchalantly lifts above a stranded Charlie Mann from the edge of the area for United's second.

24min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-0): Phil Airey wins a free-kick on the left-hand edge of the penalty area when, attempting to bring a long ball under his command, he is barged in the back by Nnamani. Samuel Adjei lines up the set-piece and his whipped, right-footed delivery zips through bodies with merest of touches from Conor Newton enough to take it beyond Charlie Mann and hand the hosts a deserved lead. 

17min - United are beginning to cause Palace some problems and Adjei, having tricked his way through opposition shirts 20 yards from goal, is denied a shot on target by the combined efforts of Nnamani and Holland just inside the area.

14min - Zaha wriggles free of Dummett on the Milburn Stand touchline before scampering into the penalty box. The United defender, though, manages to recover ground on the Eagles forward and slides to nick away for a corner. Wynter delivers but it's the fist of Jak Alnwick which greets its descent from the misty Tyneside sky and the Toon stopper punches clear.

11min - United have knitted together some good stuff across midfield but the final ball has been a little wayward thus far.

5min - Wilfred Zaha escapes the attentions of Folan down the right and cuts an incisive ball back in the direction of strike partner Ibra Sekaja, lurking on the penalty spot. The Palace forward unleashes a first-time strike but the bravery of Jeff Henderson obstructs its passage to goal as the skipper closes to block on the edge of the six-yard area.

2min - James Tavernier gets an early whack to the face and there is a pause in play to allow for the United right-back to receive treatment.

Palace get us started attacking the Gallowgate End as the rain continues to fall.

A light drizzle over the past hour has made the playing surface here at St.James' a little greasy to say the least on the evidence of the warm-up.

TEAM NEWS

SAMMY Ameobi is thrown his first start of the cup campaign having made his return from injury during the weekend win over Derby County.

Patrick Nzuzi is the man who makes way while Swedish winger Samuel Adjei replaces the injured Ryan McGorrigan.

TEAMS

NUFC: Jak Alnwick, James Tavernier, Jeff Henderson (c), Stephen Folan, Paul Dummett, Samuel Adjei, Greg McDermott, Brad Inman, Conor Newton, Sammy Ameobi, Phil Airey
Subs: Ben Robinson, Aaron Spear, Patrick Nzuzi, Liam Henderson, Daniel Taylor

CPFC: Charlie Mann, Kieran Kenlock, Matthew Parsons, Alex Wynter, Jerry Nnamani, Jack Holland, Jonathan Williams, Joe Goldsmith, Wilfred Zaha, Ibra Sekajja, Jack Randall
Subs: Jake Caprice, Ross Fitzsimmons, Kyle De Silva, Rhys Williamson Murrell, Malakai Field