Newcastle Reserves' six match unbeaten run came to an end at the City Ground on Tuesday night, despite taking a first half lead against lowly-placed Nottingham Forest Reserves.

Martin Brittain put United in front five minutes before the break with a low shot from the edge of the box at the Trent End that Forest 'keeper Colin Doyle let go through him and into the net.

Previous to that Newcastle had just shaded the game, lining up in 3-5-2 formation.

However, United had been grateful to their keeper Adam Bartlett on the quarter hour, as he made a good instinctive save to tip away a header from former Millwall striker Neil Harris.

It took the Magpies 21 minutes to get into the Forest area, but at that point Carl Finnigan found himself momentarily unmarked in front of goal after neat interplay from Gate, Brittain and Cave.

Striker Finnigan did manage a shot on target, but his first-time effort was directed weakly at 'keeper Doyle.

Within 90 seconds Doyle was in action again, this time coming off his line to bundle over striker Lewis Guy as he headed wide of goal in trying to work an angle for a shot. Unfortunately the referee chose to ignore the obvious infringement.

Forest replaced the hamstrung Nowland with one-time toon reserve midfielder James Beaumont on 24 minutes, but he had a quiet game against his old club.

A quiet opening to the second half saw Forest's Blair booked for a tackle on Brittain after 52 minutes, with the United midfielder having recovered four minutes later when his crossfield ball was played into the area by Cave, for Smylie to hook his shot over the bar.

Tommy Craig then replaced Smylie with fellow midfielder Ben Webster, but he was unable to prevent United having to defend deeper and deeper, as the home side belatedly started to look for an equaliser.

That came on 71 minutes courtesy of an aimless clearance from Cave, under pressure down by his own corner flag. He opted not to hoof the ball out and instead it landed at the feet of Biggins, whose centre from the right landed in our area in front of substitute Jonathan Wilmet.

The young Belgian knocked the ball home from close range and from that point there only looked one winner.

Our brittle midfield provided little resistance and the defence buckled again six minutes later, as Craig WestCarr and Eugen Bopp strode into the area and exchanged passes before the latter beat Bartlett to register his second goal of the season against us at this level.  

We almost gave the home side a third goal with 10 minutes remaining, when Liam Atkin chested down a right wing cross in his own area that bounced off Bartlett's right hand post - Bopp following up to put his shot high over the crossbar.

And Bartlett was called into action again on 85 minutes turning Wilmet's low drive away for a corner at the foot of the post.

United had replaced the unimpressive Guy with in-form Academy striker March Walton for the final 10 minutes, but he hardly touched the ball and saw one half-chance in added time disappear, as he was unable to control a left wing cross delivered into his midriff.

A poor night for the second string then, completed by traffic holdups on the A1 that delayed their return to Tyneside.

Like the first team we were unable to compete at the required level for 90 minutes and were found wanting up front once again, with only one goal from tonight's front pairing collectively in 19 league appearances this season - and that a penalty.