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Blackburn Rovers	0 - 1	Newcastle United
Half time:	0 - 1
Score Sheet:
		LuaLua (45)
	Teams
John Filan Jeff Kenna Fred Murray Craig Hignett Gordon Greer Marlon Broomes Simon Grayson Darren Dunning Marcus Bent Jonathan Walters Alan Morgan		John Karelse  Ryan McGuffie Oliver Bernard Peter Ramage Marcelino Jamie McClen Stuart Green Mark Boyd James Coppinger Lomano LuaLua Pedro Dimas
Substitutes:
Stuart Howson for Murray (35)  Burton O’Brien for Hignett (65)  Neil Danns for Walters (75)		Colin McMenamin for Coppinger (60)   Damon Robson for Dimas (75) Richard Offiong for Coppinger (84)
Subs not used:
Ryan Robinson Ciaran Donnelly		Aaron Labonte
Bookings:
Hignett (28) Howson (51) Greer (84) Greer (84) second yellow - dismissed Broomes (87)		Bernard (62) Coppinger (70) Dimas (72)
Referee: C.Harwood
Attendance: 500ish including a healthy smattering of black and white shirts with all four sides of the ground open. As we had predicted, the players were serenaded by Bring Me Sunshine by Eric and Ernie over the tannoy.

45 mins (actually two minutes into added time). Marcelino stroked the ball out of defence towards Dimas, who was lingering just over the halfway line down the Newcastle left. His speculative through ball fell equally for LuaLua and Rovers defender Marlon Broomes, and the smaller attacker twisted his way into the area leaving Broomes vainly claiming a push. Filan in the Rovers goal stood no chance as Lua blasted the ball high into the net from 12 yards. 1-0 

Half time: Blackburn Reserves 0 Newcastle Reserves 1

Full time: Blackburn Reserves 0 Newcastle Reserves 1

A contented Tommy Craig told .cock:

""I am delighted that we have started the season with a win. We had a mixture of youth and experience in the side and the lads turned in an excellent team performance.

"Blackburn put out a very strong team, including the likes of Hignett and Bent, so to come away with three points was very pleasing.

United got their reserves campaign off to a winning start with this victory against Blackburn at Christie Park, home of Morecambe FC.

Richard Offiong, Damon Robson, and Peter Ramage were all promoted from the U19 side who hammered Watford 6-0 on Saturday, and made their debuts at this level. 

A fourth Academy graduate, Aaron Labonte, was an unused substitute.

In a fairly even game, United just about deserved to be ahead at the break. The Magpies had created the lion's share of chances with LuaLua a busy threat up front, and a number of well-worked passing moves seeing the ball played out of defence rather than hoofed. Bernard again caught the eye with his confident running on the ball and combative approach to tackling.

With halftime in sight, just minutes after Marcus Bent had fluffed a great headed chance from a Hignett centre to open the scoring, United took the lead with an hopeful ball thrown forward to Lua. His wriggling and twisting created the chance and his good finish ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.

After the break, United found their opportunities to get forward more limited, especially after live-wire Lua was substituted. Although Rovers enjoyed more of the ball and a fair amount of play was in front of the United area, Karelse was only called upon to make one significant stop.

However, the United goalkeeper and his colleagues were almost undone in the 66th minute, when Dunning fired in a dangerous quickly-taken free kick. Thankfully it flew past the post, but a few anxious looks were exchanged between toon team mates, as we were so nearly caught out.

With twenty minutes remaining of normal time, things were looking quite interesting with Rovers pressure, our rearguard action and occasional breakaways making the outcome decidedly uncertain. However, the referee then intervened with multiple free kicks and yellow cards for any and every infringement, which angered the Rovers fans in the stand and knocked their team out of any rhythm and momentum they'd built up.

An equaliser still looked a distinct possibility going into the latter stages, until some brainless play from Greer saw him deservedly ordered from the field. A tackle from behind on Bernard was penalised with a booking, as had been the previous three challenges of that nature. The game then halted momentarily for Richard Offiong to make his reserve team bow from the bench, before restarting, whereupon Greer again upended McMenamin from behind in close proximity of the referee. A second yellow was duly produced and Greer walked.

There was still time for another rough tackle on the unfortunate McMenamin to produce an 8th yellow card, before the referee seemed to lost track off the time and add on another 6 minutes (making this a 100 minute match.) Thankfully in that time Rovers had completely lost the plot and were incapable of threatening our goal, while our lot successfully played out time for once, with short passes and runs into the far corners of the pitch.

So, an early three point haul and away win for the lads - who took seven games last season to register a win, and until February to register a victory on the road. 

With a typical Rovers side of more experienced senior players being beaten for the first time in four attempts, genuine progress can now be seen at this level. The blooding of more academy players at this level is an essential part of the future of this club, and the likes of Damon Robson and Offiong will learn far more in situations like this than the Brady's of this world, who cluttered up the second string in the previous two seasons.

Unfortunately the lads now have a blank month at least as far as league competition is concerned, and will have to keep things going with only a senior cup game arranged, and the prospect of more friendly games. When they restart though, try and check out the team at home or away if you get the chance - you'll invariably see an interesting game for a few quid. 

Biffa 

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