21 mins Allan shot. 1-0

34 mins Anderson shot. 2-0

38 mins Flaherty shot. 3-0

Half time: Newcastle 3 WBA 0

(57 mins Anderson penalty saved)

62 mins Soule header. 3-1

67 mins King shot. 3-2

(90+2 mins Indalecio and Soule sent off)

Full time: Newcastle 3 WBA 2

Tom Allan marked his first U23s game this season with a goal - having played eight games on loan for Accrington Stanley between September and November 2020 before returning to Tyneside due to injury.

Stan Flaherty got his sixth league goal of the season from 11 starts and two sub appearances.

Elliot Anderson added to his tally of 12 minutes on the field in 2021 (two senior team substitute outings). This was his first competitive start at any level for two months - since the FA Youth Cup tie at Huddersfield.

Anderson's fourth league goal of the season also moves him on to six, counting the two bagged in the EFL Trophy.

Missing today - all presumed injured - were Adam Wilson, Rosaire Longelo, Yannick Toure and Rodrigo Vilca. Kyle Scott was also absent again, amid reports that he's set to leave the club for pastures new in the USA.
 

Waffle

An eventful Monday afternoon at Little Benton ended with Newcastle reserves winning for the first time in 2021 - and moving off the foot of the table as a consequence. That barely covers the details of an epic 100 minute struggle though which included five goals, two dismissals and a missed penalty kick.

The hosts welcomed back both Tom Allan and Elliot Anderson and they played their part in what was a one-sided first half. Anderson looked a certain scorer in the 18th minute when latching on to a left wing cross, but scooped his shot wide.

An opening goal wasn't delayed long; Stan Flaherty's 21st minute corner causing all sorts of problems and Allan forcing the ball home after it rebounded off the Albion crossbar.

Presented with a similar chance to his earlier one on 34 minutes Anderson made no mistake to double the lead. 2-0 became 3-0 seven minutes before the break when midfielder Flaherty grabbed his sixth of the season with another close range finish.

The Baggies made a double replacement at half time and were instantly improved; Jamie Soule heading against the crossbar barely 20 seconds after the restart.

United were presented with a golden opportunity to rack up a four goal lead when Joe White was fouled in the box by Lino Da Cruz Sousa - only for Anderson to see his 57th minute penalty well saved by Maksymilian Boruc.

Within five minutes Soule had guided home his header and by the 67th minute the lead was just one goal, Toby King ending a flowing move by firing past Will Brown.

What had become an increasingly niggly encounter saw half-chances at both ends and an elongated break in play for treatment to Brown but Newcastle still held their slender lead at the end of normal time.

Magpies substitute Florian Indalecio and Albion's Soule were then both shown red cards following a mass brawl on the halfway line, adding yet more time to what was becoming a marathon afternoon.

Albion continued to threaten an equaliser until the 10th minute of added time - claiming a spot kick of their own before sending the free kick into the defensive wall with the last action of the game.

Biffa