My feckin' adsl went down yesterday, only just got it back up!
So here's the delayed full match report:
Manchester United Reserves v Newcastle Reserves at Old Trafford
United Lineup:
Ricardo
Rankin
Roche
Lynch
Pugh
Chadwick
Keane
Stewart (Captain)
Richardson
Davis
Nardiello
Subs:
Jowsey
Fletcher
Williams
Muirhead
Taylor
Newcastle Lineup:
Collin
Brennan
Taylor
Elliot
Quinn
Orr
Kerr
Bassedas
Kendrick
Chopra
Cort
Keano shows his quality in a give and go into the box, crossing the return ball but no one manages to get onto the end of it.
Both sides are playing a patient passing game, keeping possession and passing back to the defence if necessary. Quite a slow pace, with Keano just treating it as a gentle training session.
On 14 minutes Nardiello has United's first shot on goal with the outside of his right foot, but its hit straight at the keeper.
Chopra beats the offside trap to hit at Ricardo who dives quickly to save from his left, the rebound is hit by Bassedas forcing another save from Ricardo.
After a good ball from Stewart to Chadwick, Luke hits a poor cross to the keeper.
Davis clean through but incorrectly judged to be offside.
Carl Cort given the ball from wide on the break, but the defence throw their bodies in the way of his shot.
On the break a ball over the top by Elliot frees Cort to run onto and slams it past Ricardo's near post. They've looked more threatening in truth, having given us little space in their half to craft chances.
Stewart takes a free kick which goes through the legs of a newcastle defender and Collin has to reach right down to the far corner to touch it round the post.
Keane launches a ferocious shot on goal which the keeper can only parry away, but Nardiello is lurking to fire the loose ball into the top of the net on 31 mins. 1-1
Ricardo throws the ball quickly out to Keane who starts a counter attack with a lovely ball down the right wing, but the cross is headed away.
Keane has two crosses from the right, the first was headed out for a corner, which Keane then took and got back to fire a cross to the near post and Collin's almost spilled into his own net.
Nardiello gets into a one on one with the keeper but loses his concentration and fires tamely wide - should've scored, he was almost on the penalty spot.
Keane, Richardson and Davis have got into the match more and more as the half has worn on, with intelligent runs and passes, they're starting to open up Newcastle United's defence.
Half time 1-1
Keane has played more of a creative role than a tackling holding role, he's been making runs, launching attacks, and firing on goal, leaving a lot of the defensive duties to Stewart.
Both sides have had 4 shots, with 3 on target, reflecting the even nature of the half, which has had a lot of good passing football and a constant flow.
Second half starts with a lovely move after Stewart opens the defence, Chadwick crosses from near the touchline and Davis at the far post just tries to lob it into the far corner but it goes over the bar.
Nardiello scores an easy goal, after the right full back cocks up his pass across the defence when under pressure, leaving Nardiello one on one and coolly firing into the bottom corner on 50mins. 2-1 Nardiello has now scored 9 goals in 10 reserve matches this season.
Richardson attempts a shot from 40 yards out, but he put so much curve on it that it went wide, but not by that much!
Brennan again is robbed of the ball, by Davis, and suddenly its 3 against 2 charging on goal, but the defender gets the ball in a sliding tackle.
Roy plays a lovely reverse ball to Richardson who crosses it to Nardiello, but the keeper saves at his feet.
Stephen Brennan (who was caught for the second goal) comes off for Peter Ramage.
From a corner Bradley Orr scores on 64mins from a Cort knock down, the defenders focussing on Cort, who easily outjumped them, and not marking Orr. 2-2
Chopra hits a strong shot from in the box but Ricardo makes a firm save showing quick reactions.
The defence is going to pieces, with another chance, and then another which is converted by Cort from a Chopra pass across the box when he was through from a Lynch error on 66mins. 2-3
Number 14, Matty Williams, comes on for Number 10 Jimmy Davis on 70 mins.
71mins: Stewart is booked for a high challenge.
United with a lot of the ball now, trying to find a way through, Chadwick weaves inside the box, feeding Keane who blasts the ball but its always rising and goes over the bar.
Luke runs down the wing and this time finds Nardiello who's shot hits the keeper and comes back out, but United regain the ball and keep up the pressure. Its all Man United now.
Pugh feeds the ball into Keane's run and he strikes another powerful shot, just over the bar, he deserves to get the equalizer.
Nardiello also has a go from distance, also not far off target.
Newcastle bring on Lewis Guy for Michael Chopra on 84 mins.
On 89 minutes Keano has one last shot on goal which again goes over the bar - but he's lasted all 90 mins and not noticeably tired.
Bradley Orr has a shot on goal pushed away by Ricardo as the last shot of the match. The game finishes 2-3, due to a few crazy minutes where the defence lost the composure.
Nardiello MOM - Always looked like scoring, even if he should've had a hat trick, thats no bad thing considering he did better than £7m Cort!