Having won Group Two in the inaugural season of the Premier U21 League, Newcastle reserves faced Group One winners Everton at Goodison on Tuesday night to decide who advanced to a playoff semi-finals game at Spurs.

The Toffees came into the game on a fifteen match unbeaten run dating back to November and were twice denied by 'keeper Jak Alnwick in the opening quarter. The Magpies custodian first made an outstanding save on 21 minutes from a Steven Naismith header after Kevin Mbabu gave away a free kick down the Everton left. 

And three minutes later Alnwick pulled off an equally fine one-handed effort to deny striker Conor Aleny as the sun began to set on a fine Merseyside evening. Sammy Ameobi was behind most of our positive moves, but home 'keeper Jan Mucha remained untested in the Gwladys Street End goal as the first half ended 0-0.

Adding Rolando Aarons to the mix for the second half, Newcastle soon registered their first effort on target when Mucha turned Brad Inman's effort away for a corner. Aarons then teed up Ameobi, but he was rightly ruled to be offside as he poked the ball home.

With action switching from end to end, United midfielder Brandon Miele was robbed by Naismith before setting Long away to fire beyond Alnwick and off a post - Mbabu on hand to complete the clearance. And after a period of pressure that saw both Mbabu and Gael Bigirimana send shots narrowly wide, the opening goal arrived on 66 minutes from Sammy Ameobi.

Within three minutes the hosts had responded though, McAleny levelling to end Everton's goal famine following a trio of 0-0 draws in recent weeks. More heroics from Alnwick then denied Barkley on 75 minutes but could do nothing to stop Naismith netting with a powerful close range finish just 90 seconds later. 

Undaunted, Newcastle levelled with seven minutes to play when Ameobi set up Brad Inman to fire home. And although Everton rattled Alnwick's crossbar through Long late on, United held out for 30 minutes of extra time.

Michael Richardson restored our advantage in the 98 minutes but just when an unlikely victory looked in sight, Everton levelled at 3-3 on 115 minutes after Inman was booked for impeding an opponent. Substitute Luke Garbutt sent the free kick over and John Lundstram popped up to fire to fire past Alnwick from close and set up a penalty shootout.

Gael Bigirimana was first up for United and after an unconvincing stop/start run up unfortunately looked to slip in the act of striking the ball and shot wide. Everton held their nerve though to convert all five of their spot kicks, Costa Rican Bryan Oviedo firing home the winner via a post.

Biffa

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