17 mins: Tchoyi shot 1-0

Half time: Baggies 1 Magpies 0

55 mins: Airey shot 1-1

Full time: Baggies 1 Magpies 1

Peter Beardsley's side secured a point from their penultimate reserve league game of the season on Tuesday afternoon, played behind closed doors at the Albion training ground.

And although they trailed at the interval, an equaliser from Phil Airey ended a run of five away defeats. That was a fourth goal for the forward in his last five starts and his ninth of the season.  

The Baggies were the first to show Somen Tchoyi finding Romaine Sawyers in the United box on three minutes, only for the Albion midfielder to volley his effort straight at 'keeper Jak Alnwick.

The Magpies then carved out their first chance after 14 minutes, when Patrick McLaughlin's corner eventually fell to Michael Richardson and his goalbound effort was cleared off the line by an Albion's defender's knee.

United fell behind three minutes later, when Tchoyi netted with a curling effort from the edge of the area - a goal not unlike the one the Cameroon international scored against us at the Hawthorns in the Premier League last December.

Richardson again though came close on 24 minutes, cutting in from the left flank and unleashing a low effort when just inside the area that shaved the far post.

With a side wind making life difficult for both sides there was no further scoring before half time, Newcastle forcing a trio of corners - all taken by McLaughlin - one of which Stephen Folan reached but headed wide.

An equaliser did appear ten minutes after the restart however, when Michael Richardson's quickly -taken throw in down the United right gave Dan Taylor the chance to centre for Phil Airey to supply a good finish.

Dan Taylor then found space again down the United right just after the hour mark and crossed for Ryan Donaldson. He misdirected his shot into the ground, only for the ball to bounce up and hit an upright before being cleared.

Chances at both ends then saw Alnwick pull off a good save to deny Saido Berahino from 18 yards after 74 minutes, before two more McLaughlin corners caused panic in the Albion defence. The first almost sneaked in and forced Myhill into a desperate tip over his bar, while the subsequent one was headed off the line.

With minutes remaining, there was a final half-chance for Airey but he didn't manage to latch on to an attempted header back from a home defender. Match referee, Wayne Barratt, also chose not to punish a tangle between the United number nine and Baggies' captain, Paul Downing - with Airey looking to have been struck in the face.

Niall Mackenzie

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