22mins Bigirimana shot 1-0

31mins Heardman header 2-0 

Half time: Newcastle 2 Wolves 0

51mins Bancessi bundle 2-1

Full time: Newcastle 2 Wolves 1

Monday night saw Peter Beardsley's U21 side extend their unbeaten run this season to three games, as first half goals from Gael Bigirimana and Tom Heardman were enough to overcome a Wolves side coached by Scott Sellars.

United made the brighter start to proceedings and just three minutes were on the clock when Sammy Ameobi progressed down the left flank before sending over a cross-cum-shot that just whistled over the crossbar.

At the other end, what proved to be the best chance for the visitors in the first half saw Albert Torras try a shot from inside the box - only for Remi Streete to make a timely intervention at the expense of a corner kick.

Shane Ferguson's centre from the left was then headed onto the post by Alex Gilliead, before the deadlock was broken within two minutes by Bigirimana, with a carbon copy of Morgan Schneiderlin's curler for Southampton against Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday. 

The move began with Bigirimana and Mehdi Abeid exchanging passes and although the danger seemed to have passed when striker Tom Heardman was unable to work a shooting chance in the area, a poor clearance from a visiting player gave Bigi sight of the target.

Having found a way through the Wolves defence, United then profited from their best period of the contest by doubling their lead on 31 minutes, Ferguson looping over a cross from the right for the unmarked Heardman to head past Jonathan Flatt in the Gallowgate End goal.

Making only his second U21 league start, that was 19 year-old Heardman's first goal at this level and followed a run of scoring in the numerous friendlies staged by United recently to bridge the gap between competitive fixtures.

Any thoughts that Newcastle would continue to dominate after the break though melted away when Wolves halved the arrears on 51 minutes, ex-Benfica player Eusebio Bancessi letting fly to beat Alnwick from outside the box.

From that point the home side were seldom seen as an attacking force and it took until the 86th minute for substitute Callum Roberts to dirty Flatt's gloves again.

By then though the visitors had missed a great chance to register the equaliser that they probably deserved, when Bancessi rode several weak tackles on 82 minutes but then dragged his shot wide when well-placed.

A morale-boosting three points then under the lights, but in terms of squad players pushing for the senior side then there wasn't a great deal to report. Messrs Abeid, Ameobi and Bigirimana all faded after showing some early promise - and midfield isn't our most deficient area at present.

Having not played competitively for his club at any level since scoring a hat trick three weeks ago in our last U21 League game, Adam Armstrong was denied any pitch time here - presumably for fear of sustaining an injury.

Of Facundo Ferreyra, there was no sign whatsoever.

Biffa