For the second successive season the points were shared at St. James' Park in the reserve derby, as Magpies duo Brad Inman and Adam Campbell continued their own private scoring contest.

The pair have now netted nine of our 13 goals in the U21 league so far this season and grabbed one apiece in the first half here - with Inman one ahead on five strikes.

However, it was the flair of Sammy Ameobi that proved to be United's main threat for much of the game, as he completed a second 90 minutes in four days after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Following Friday's 0-1 loss to Southampton at Whitley Park, Dan Gosling, Mehdi Abeid and Shane Ferguson were drafted into the Newcastle starting XI - although our ongoing defensive shortage means that the latter pair appeared at right and left back, respectively.

Meanwhile, captain Curtis Good had another stand-in central defensive partner in the shape of Michael Richardson, with both Remie Streete and Alex Kitchen injured and Paul Dummett out on loan. 

That defence was breached after just eight minutes though, when ex-Magpie junior Billy Knott sent over a left wing cross and Connor Wickham had all the time in the world to beat Jak Alnwick in the Gallowgate goal. 

A touch of fortune then put the home side level on 16 minutes, when mackem 'keeper Jordan Pickford made a hash of dealing with Campbell's through ball and Inman needed no second bidding to bury it into the empty net.

United's second strike of the evening then also had a touch of fortune, when Campbell's speculative strike on goal eluded Pickford thanks to a sizeable deflection.

Ahead at the break, more defensive uncertainty from United quickly saw the mackems draw level, Ji providing the cross this time for Wickham to supply another routine finish.     

Former Newcastle striker Louis Saha had looked lively throughout the night and missed the chance to put his side ahead shortly after, before teeing up Wickham for another chance - although Alnwick managed to block.

Lacking width but with winger Marcus Maddison left unused on the bench, United were forced into a change with 20 minutes remaining when Richardson had to be carried off on a stretcher.

That saw Yven Moyo appear in a central role and Gosling drop back in to central defence and although the French midfielder tried to orchestrate some attacks, it was the mackems who continued to look the more dangerous.

Clearly tiring and having twice cheaply surrendered possession in the closing stages, Ameobi found the energy for one more run and shot that flashed just wide of the goal - the third time in the game that he'd worked an opening for himself but missed the target. 

And there was a final fright for United deep in added time, when Abeid's hasty tackle on mackem substitute Mitchell looked to be right on the edge of the area. Thankfully, referee Iain Turner awarded only a free kick, which was wasted when Saha could only direct his header over the bar.

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