After a fogbound 0-0 at Kingston Park in the corresponding game, heavy rain showers greeting a young reserve side at St.Andrews on Wednesday evening, as we concluded our away league programme.

Watched by Steve Bruce and a sparse crowd, the home side began the stronger and after nine minutes were ahead. 

City threatened to add further goals to their tally and Adam Collin was called upon to make a good stop to turn away a Jovan Kirovski header.

At the other end our raids were few and far between, but striker Lewis Guy skied a half-chance from inside the box, and midfielder Ross Gardner miscued with a first time effort as he tried to notch his second strike in as many games.

The second half saw a more solid Newcastle display as they coped with the home side's probing better, but still relied on keeper Collin more than once to keep the score at 1-0.

After a poor display out wide on Monday, Jamie McClen looked happier in a central midfield role, but as an attacking force we were seldom seen, failing to register a shot on target in the whole game.

Some late pressure hinted that we might just snatch an equaliser, but the nearest we came was an Orr pile-driver that whistled past Marriott's right post.

A slightly more palatable performance than the slipshod display at the Boro, especially given the thinness of the squad utilised, but still a long way from being satisfactory.