Half time: City 0 United 0

78mins Mclean shot 0-1

88mins Aarons shot 1-1

90+2mins Mclean shot 1-2

Full time: City 2 United 1

Newcastle reserves exited from the U21 Premier League Cup at the first time of asking on Tuesday - beaten by their Birmingham City counterparts at a chilly and almost deserted St. Andrews.

An experienced Magpies lineup featuring Sammy Ameobi,  Haris Vuckic, Adam Campbell and Massadio Haidara dominated proceedings - only to be found lacking in the final third of the field.

Campbell struck the woodwork after 11 minutes and was then denied by City goalkeeper Colin Doyle from United's next attack, while a deflected effort from Vuckic went narrowly wide on 17 minutes with Doyle wrong-footed.

United were denied a 41st minute penalty when James Tavernier went down under a challenge that the linesman flagged as a foul, only for referee Daniel Meeson to over-rule his colleague and wave play on.

Vuckic again went close with a curling left-footed shot that only just failed to find the top corner shortly after the interval and the Slovenian then set up Tavernier - only for his heavy touch to allowed Doyle to smother.

However City snatched a surprise lead with 12 minutes remaining, Aaron Mclean taking advantage of hesitancy in the visiting defence to volley past Jak Alnwick.

Blues took advantage of the competition's over-age eligibility rules to give the 30 year-old striker signed on loan from Hull City some match practice and he came close to netting again, only to hit the crossbar.

Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons tested Doyle with five minutes remaining before pulling his side level in the 88th minute - controlling a long diagonal ball from the left before prodding home a second U21 goal of the season.

With extra time looming however, the ball broke loose to Mclean in the second minute of added time and he strode clear before finding the net to set up a home tie in the last sixteen for Birmingham against Leicester City.

Niall MacKenzie