Newcastle U23s failed to advance to the Quarter Finals of the Premier League International Cup at Whitley Park on Friday night, beaten by Blackburn Rovers in their final group stage game.

A draw and a victory from their first two games left Ben Dawson's side needing maximum points against Rovers in order to overtake Benfica at the top of their group.

Although pointless from their two previous games in the competition, the visitors play domestically in a league above that of United, and there was clear daylight between the two sides from the off.

Following his recall from an ill-fated loan spell at Carlisle United, striker Elias Sorensen was added to Ben Dawson's starting line-up. However the Dane had barely touched the ball before Rovers were two goals to the good and threatening to run riot.

John Buckley had already been denied by home 'keeper Jake Turner before he steered home a pull-back from Harry Chapman on 13 minutes. 

Within seconds Turner was quickly off his line to block another Buckley effort with his foot, but that just postponed the second goal that arrived on 16 minutes though Chapman's fine strike.

The Magpies needed a way back into the tie and found one just before the half hour, when Rosaire Longelo burst into the box from the left and was hauled down in the box by Stefan Mols.  

Tom Allan made no mistake from the spot and there was no further scoring in the first half, leaving Newcastle in contention despite barely being seen as an attacking force.  

Allan then levelled the game at 2-2 in the 55th minute with an absolute peach of a goal; picking the ball up in a central area and then burying it in the top left hand corner from 30 yards.

That was as good as it for United though, with their approach play still under par and the score at that point in no way a reflection of the tie.

Rovers regained the lead in the 75th minute when Buckley got his second with a routine shooting chance from Chapman's centre, after Turner had blocked Chapman's run a moment earlier.

Allan had the ball in the net seven minutes later but it was rightly ruled out for offside and in an increasingly desperate finale then Allan teed up Longelo from the byline but he stabbed it wide at the back post.

Group C - final table:

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