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Newcastle U18s 3 Chelsea U18s 2
Written by Newcastle Utd
Alex Gilliead scored twice as Newcastle's under-18s gained some revenge for last month's FA Youth Cup quarter-final loss to Chelsea
By Nick Lough
At Little Benton
Newcastle United Under-18s 3 (Heardman, Gilliead 2)
Chelsea Under-18s 2 (Christie-Davies, Palmer )
A last gasp winner from England under-18 international Alex Gilliead secured all three points for Dave Watson's men on Saturday morning, exacting revenge after their 3-2 defeat to the London club in the FA Youth Cup back in March.
Young Lions Gilliead and goalkeeper Freddie Woodman lined up for the Magpies as they looked to get back to winning ways after a run of four straight victories was ended at Arsenal last Saturday.
Chelsea, however, had their own seven game unbeaten run to preserve - a sequence which was extended midweek with a 2-1 win over Arsenal in their FA Youth Cup semi-final.
The first half was a slow burner, with both teams cancelling each other out in midfield and very few clear chances. Ryan McKinnon headed a Dan Barlaser corner wide midway through the first period, while Kasey Palmer fluffed his lines when slotted through by Ike Ugbo.
Despite the lack of action for both goalkeepers, Chelsea took the lead on the stroke of half time through Isaac Christie-Davies. Palmer slipped the ball through to Christie-Davies, who beat the offside trap to calmly slip the ball past the helpless Woodman.
Chelsea continued to put the Newcastle back four under pressure with a handful of chances early in the second half. Woodman made a fantastic stop to deny Ugbo one-on-one while full back Trevor Chalobah scooped his flash shot inches wide of the post. Trialist Dan Ward tried his own luck for Newcastle only to see his effort swerve right of Bradley Collins' goal.
However the luck was on Chelsea's side when the referee pointed to the spot after defender Michael Newberry bundled Faiq Bolkiah over in the penalty area on the 59th minute, but keeper Woodman came to the right-back's aid by producing a double save from Palmer's penalty and follow up.
The tide then well and truly turned, with Ward seeing his shot cleared off the line by Ruben Sammut, while Barlaser and Gilliead both had ferocious efforts fantastically saved by Collins.
However Chelsea's resistance was finally broken on the 67th minute when, after some neat work around the Blues box, Tom Heardman stabbed home to level the game.
After being level for a matter of two minutes, the Magpies found themselves in front, with a mistake by goalkeeper Collins allowing Gilliead to steal in and knock the ball into an empty net.
Barlaser came close to extending the lead when his free kick smacked the outside of the Chelsea goal, but it was the visitors who managed to score the next goal. Against the run of play, Palmer's low finish from the corner of the area managed to beat Woodman down low, and with eight minutes remaining, the West London side had seemingly salvaged a point.
But, with the game entering stoppage time, up stepped captain Alex Gilliead to grab the winner after a Newcastle counter attack resulted in the Shotley Bridge-born youngster squeezing the ball past the unfortunate Collins, rescuing all three points for the Magpies.
Newcastle United Under-18s: Freddie Woodman, Michael Newberry, Liam Gibson, Ben Drennan, Ryan McKinnon, Kyle Cameron, Daniel Barlaser, Dan Ward, Tom Heardman, Alex Gilliead, Joe Kerridge
Subs not used: Paul Woolston, Adam Laidler, Jamie Cobain, Luke Charman, Jack Hunter