U18s Premier League North

Newcastle United 6 (Emerson 45’, 51’, 58’, Donaldson 83’ 84’, Bailey 87’)

Leeds United 4 (Vincent 7’, Andreucci 12’, Douglas 23’, Thomas 54’)

Newcastle: Harris (GK), Milmore (Bryant 46’), Charlton, Powell, Thompson, Craggs, Cooper, Palmer (Beresford 90’), Mavididi (Donaldson 61’), Bailey, Emerson (Watts 90’). Subs Not used: Harrison.

Leeds: Ombang (GK), Dawber, Diboe, Toulson, Godden, Buchan, Douglas (Richards 46’), Chaplin, Andreucci (Thomas 46’), Chambers (Brockie 65’), Vincent. Subs not used: Brown, Mahandy.

Venue: Darsley Park

Booked: Milmore, Beresford (Newcastle), Toulson, Godden (Leeds)

Leeds United Under-18s made the trip up north to play Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. There were only four points separating the two sides before the game got underway.

The Whites started the game on the front foot with some early pressure and in the seventh minute they made their early dominance count. Ben Andreucci picked the ball up on the right-hand side and floated a cross towards the back post where Havery Vincent lost his marker and was able to tap the ball into an empty net!

Minutes later it got better for Leeds when Andreucci doubled the lead! This time it came from a deep corner that Oscar Dawber flicked on smartly, and the Whites’ number nine was first to react to the flick and poked it past the onrushing keeper into the back of the net.

Leeds seemed to have taken full control before the half an hour mark when they grabbed their third goal. Sam Chambers produced a great tackle to win the ball back deep into the Magpies’ half and the ball fell to Dan Toulson.

He threaded a neat pass into the box that Connor Douglas got on the end of and placed his effort into the bottom corner, to get his third goal in two days, having scored twice for the Under-21s on Friday afternoon.

On the stroke of halftime, the home side pulled a goal back from the penalty spot. Johny Emerson earned the penalty for the home team after being dragged down inside the area. Emerson stepped up to take the spot kick himself and calmly placed his effort into the bottom corner.

HALF TIME: Newcastle United 1-3 Leeds United

Leeds made two changes at the interval bringing on Luca Thomas and Joseph Richards for the goalscorers, Andreucci and Douglas.

Despite the dominance from the visitors in the first half, it was the Magpies who got the first goal in the second half when Emerson got on the end of a missed clearance, and he dinked the ball into an empty net to reduce the deficit.

Leeds reacted well to conceding and regained their two-goal advantage in spectacular style. It was the substitute Thomas who picked the ball up in his own half and brilliantly unleashed a strike goalward, which looped over Aidan Harris in the Newcastle net leaving him with no chance.

Minutes later Newcastle pulled another goal back though, and it was Emerson once again who got it, completing his hat-trick. Ciaran Thompson played a smart ball over the top of the Leeds defence and Emerson took a touch out his feet and placed it into the bottom corner to make it 4-3.

With 10 minutes to play, Josh Donaldson was fouled inside the Leeds United box and earned the Magpies their second penalty of the afternoon. This time Donaldson stepped up and sent Ombang the wrong way to draw the game level.

A minute later, Newcastle took the lead in this remarkable game. Darren Palmer got on the end of a ball in behind the defence, he took a touch around Ombang, and played the ball across the floor to Donaldson who lifted the ball over the defenders on the line and into the roof of the net.

With minutes to play the Magpies sealed the victory when a rebound fell to Scott Bailey on the edge of the box. He drilled a low effort into the bottom corner leaving Ombang with little chance to deny the midfielder.

This was to be the last piece of the action in an enthralling game and it saw the home side take all three points, closed the gap to within a point of Leeds. The Whites will look towards next week when they face Sunderland at the Academy of Light.

FULL TIME: Newcastle United 6-4 Leeds United