Newcastle United Football Club - Match reports

It proved to be lucky thirteen for Tommy Craig and his young Magpies on Monday evening, as they extended their season -long unbeaten record on home territory.

Fortress Kingston Park has now seen ten Newcastle victories and three draws this season - with Birmingham City due here on Thursday in the final league fixture.

Shorn of recent first team graduate Matty Pattison and lacking Daryl Smylie, our midfield was further weakened by the withdrawal before the game of Martin Brittain through injury.

However youngster Rob Cavener proved an able replacement in his first start at this level, while defender Liam Atkin filled the right-sided role at short notice.

After a goalless first half of few chances, the game burst into life less than a minute into the second half, as in-form striker Carl Finnigan found the net.

Goal number sixteen of the season for Carl was a header to finish off a Craig Baxter throw-in from the right that was nodded on by Andy Carroll.

That was an instant return for Tommy Craig, who had sent on Carroll in place of James Troisi at half time.

Bolton attempted to get back in the game and Fraser Forster was alert to make a good stop on 54 minutes, Baxter clearing the return ball from Johann Smith for a corner amid strong protests of handball from the visitors.

Once in the lead United fought doggedly to keep their noses in front, with some solid tackles evident across the park and central defensive duo David Edgar and Paul Huntington seeing plenty of the ball.

However despite the presence of Matt Jansen and Henrik Pedersen in the Bolton ranks we looked more likely scorers - Alan O'Brien showing his marker a clean pair of heels down the left on a number of occasions but being unable to set up Finnigan to threaten a second.

And on a blustery night at KP, Trotters 'keeper Ali Abdullah Harib Al-Habsi came as close as anyone to beating Fraser Forster, his wind-assisted kick on 78 minutes carrying straight through to the United 'keeper.

(Ali is from Oman and has arrived at Bolton via Norwegian club Lyn Oslo on the recommendation of former Newcastle 'keeper John Burridge).

Another hard-earned but deserved three points for the reserves then, who continue to defy both the bumpy pitch and first team callups to keep grinding out the results.

It's a pity that another disappointing crowd was here to see it - hopefully a few more might turn out on Thursday to give the lads some encouragement and appreciation as they try to complete a memorable sequence of results.