Newcastle United suffer late derby heartbreak against Sunderland once again

A second half strike from Josh Scott gave Newcastle the lead at The Academy of Light before Jewison Bennette equalised for the hosts shortly after. And as the match looked to be heading for a draw, defender Zak Johnson rose highest to head home from a corner and secure a win for the Young Black Cats.

Newcastle were without several key players with the likes of Dylan Stephenson, Niall Brookwell and Joe White leaving the club on loan this month. White scored in the dramatic 1-1 draw between the sides in October but his first-half strike was controversially cancelled out by a last-gasp goal from Sunderland goalkeeper Alex Bass.

Bass bundled the ball into the next from a corner and later admitted after the match that he handled the ball, but the goal stood.

Keen to avenge the injustice at St James’s Park, The Young Magpies, now under the management of Ben Dawson, were hoping to end a three match losing run in the Premier League 2 Division 2 against their local rivals.

But it was the hosts who had the first sight on goal in the match as Thomas Watson broke down the right side before clipping an angled strike over the crossbar.

Some good link-up play at the other end from Amadou Diallo and James Huntley saw the latter get a shot away on for it to be well blocked by Luke O’Nien. Josh Scott then forced a save from Sunderland goalkeeper Jacob Carney after cutting in from the right.

Magpies goalkeeper Jude Smith was also called into action midway through the first half as he parried Caden Kelly’s first-time shot to safety.

But it was a first half of few meaningful chances as the sides went in at 0-0.

Yet just four minutes after the restart, Newcastle took the lead as Scott cut the ball onto his left foot and hammered it into the right corner of the goal.

But The Magpies’ lead lasted less than 15 minutes as Bennette found the net with a deflected effort which looped into the left corner to make it 1-1.

Both sides pushed for a winner late on as Sunderland scrambled clear a Diallo cross across goal while Newcastle had to defend frantically in the closing stages to stop a goalmouth scramble being turned in.

And Sunderland eventually found the goal as Johnson’s bullet header from Kelly’s corner secured the 2-1 win for the hosts.

Defeat for Newcastle sees them remain eighth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table, two points ahead of Sunderland in ninth.

Sunderland Under-21s: Carney; Wilson (Jessup 60), Taylor, Rigg (Sohna 90), Johnson, O’Nien (C), Watson (Chiabi 90), Ekwah (Scott 60), Gardner, Kelly, Bennette

Sunderland Under-21s subs: Scott, Richardson, Jessup, Sohna, Chiabi

Sunderland bookings: Wilson (34), Bennette (59)

Newcastle United Under-21s: Smith (C); Carlyon, Bondswell, Hackett, Barclay (Stewart 66), J.Miley, Scott, L.Miley, Parkinson (Ndiweni 72), Huntley (Vilca 81), Diallo

Subs: Vilca, Thompson, Stewart, Crossley, Ndiweni

Newcastle bookings: Huntley (59)