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Toon Kids Make A Point
Written by Newcastle Utd
Impressive Juniors held to goalless draw by Liverpool
NEWCASTLE UNITED U-18s 0
LIVERPOOL U-18s 0
Premier Academy League
Little Benton Academy
Saturday, February 23
NEWCASTLE produced one of their best displays of the season to hold the Youth Cup holders to an exciting draw at windswept Benton.
And United were just inches from snatching a dramatic late victory when Shane Ferguson, sliding in four yards out, lifted Ryan Donaldson's hard low cross over an open goal with two minutes to go.
A strong wind gusting down the pitch made life difficult for both sides, but they mastered the conditions and the match could have gone either way.
Only a magnificent tip-over from Mark Cook after 12 minutes kept Newcastle level after German striker Marvin Pourie powered his way through the home defence and rifled a 12-yard shot towards the left corner.
But United could have been ahead in the 28th minute when Jonny Godsmark, showing superb control on the right, sent Donaldson clear only for Hansen to divert his shot inches past the right post.
Three Newcastle players - Callum Morris, Donaldson and Darren Lough - went into the book for fouls as no quarter was given or asked.
Australian debutant Brad Inman, 16, had a tremendous game in the centre of midfield and sparked many of the Magpies' best moves.
Lough got in on the left but Hansen saved at his feet and as United dominated despite playing against the wind in the second half, Michael McCrudden was denied by a diving save from Hansen 17 minutes from time.
That was the signal for United to step up the pressure and twice Godsmark got away only to fire one chance inches past the left angle and lose out to Hansen with the next.
Moments before Ferguson's late miss, Donaldson had an 18-yard shot saved by Hansen, and in injury time only a desperate late intervention from centre-half Rob Kennedy prevented Godsmark converting Ferguson's ball from the left.
UNITED U-18s: Cook, Leadbitter, Lough, Francis, Morris, McLaughlin, Godsmark, Inman, Donaldson, Ferguson, McCrudden. Subs not used: Wrightson, Bath, Taylor, Soderberg.
LIVERPOOL U-18s: Hansen, Awang, O'Connor, Irwin, Kennedy, Highdale, Amoo, Ajdarevic, Pourie, Eccleston, Mackay-Steven (sub Kacaniklic 70). Subs not used: Scott, Parsonage.