Tommy Craig said: 

"I think the players have learned one lesson in particular from last night's game and that's that nothing comes easy in football.

"A lot of people came to St James's expecting a lot of goals give both teams credit - you've got to respect the effort Whitley Bay put in. They made it very difficult for us and I wish we'd taken more chances."

Goalscorer Marc Walton commented:

"That was the best feeling in the world. Scoring two goals at St James's Park was fantastic. It was the first time I'd played there.

"I'd been in the squad for the play-off game against Manchester United last year but hadn't been involved so I was hoping to come on and to score two goals was brilliant."
 

Two second half efforts from substitute striker Marc Walton ensured that Newcastle Reserves won the Northumberland Senior Cup on Wednesday evening.

And only the crossbar and Bay goalkeeper prevented the locally-born youngster from notching a hat trick at St.James' Park.

However, the victory was only made secure when the second goal arrived in added time, with Newcastle missing numerous opportunities to seal the win after Walton's 53rd minute opener.

In a goalless first half, the Northern League visitors had reason to be aggrieved with Northumberland referee Ilderton. Two early bookings for Bay seemed harsh enough, but a seemingly valid claim of handball against a home defender was overlooked when a penalty looked odds-on.

Bay continued to look lively and striker Lee Ludlow should have done better after 24 minutes when his burst into the United area presented him with a glorious shooting chance. However he hit his shot at keeper Adam Bartlett who saved.

An injury to midfielder Bradley Orr forced the Magpies into a reshuffle and on came Walton to form a front trio with Zola and Guy.

The bustling Walton hardly got a touch before the break, but almost made the
breakthrough on 48 minutes, when his fiercely-struck effort rebounded off the crossbar.

Within five minutes though he was on the spot to net from an acute angle via Bay keeper Burke at the Gallowgate end, converting a pass from Ross Gardner.

As the game progressed Newcastle began to dominate, the movement of Lewis Guy causing Bay some problems. And after Martin Brittain had blasted over the bar and Calvin Zola spurned chances in quick succession, it was Guy who struck the angle of post and bar.

Bay by now looked to be tiring and it was two of their substitutes who almost hassled United keeper Bartlett into a costly error with ten minutes remaining. However he recovered from a double slip to clear the ball under pressure.

Further chances for the home side came with increasing frequency in the final moments interspersed with some late Bay pressure that yielded two corners but no efforts on goal.

Newcastle belatedly scored a deserved second in added time, and once again
it was Gardner with the assist and Walton with the finish, with the striker on the spot to notch his second from almost on the line, amidst loud offside appeals from Bay defenders that saw the referee glance towards his linesman before signalling the goal.

The usual post-match presentations took place on the pitch and Sir Bobby presented the Cup to the victorious captain, appropriately enough Whitley-born Peter Ramage.

Biffa

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