Newcastle United Under-23s see unbeaten run come to an end against Nottingham Forest

Will Swan’s first half strike was enough to secure three points for the visitors in the Premier League 2 match to end Newcastle’s seven match unbeaten run in all competitions.

There was some transfer news of sorts when the team news dropped as Isaac Westendorf returned to the squad after impressing on trial earlier in the season. The club confirmed that the 19-year-old striker has signed an 18 month contract on Tyneside.

Elliot Anderson captained the young Magpies side on Monday evening. The midfielder is attracting Football League loan interest so hasn’t travelled with the first team to Saudi Arabia.

The first real chance of the game resulted in the opening goal after 22 minutes as Newcastle were opened up too easily at the back, allowing Alex Gibson-Hammond’s low ball across goal to be turned in by Swan.

Gibson-Hammond got forward again from right-back but his effort could only find the side netting as Newcastle struggled to impose themselves on the game.

It took until first half stoppage time for the hosts to register their first shot as Josh Scott’s effort sailed high and wide of the target as the sides went in 0-1 at the break.

Anderson fired a free-kick over the crossbar 10 minutes after the restart before Forest thought they had doubled their lead as substitute Lewis Salmon poked the ball in from a tight angle only to be denied by the offside flag.

Charlie Wiggett had Newcastle’s first shot on target in the match after 64 minutes with a header but it was tipped over by Nicky Hogarth in the Forest goal.

Substitute Rodrigo Vilca came close to equalising in the closing stages but his low strike from the edge of the box clipped the left post.

Newcastle continued to apply pressure late on and had a penalty shout turned down but they couldn’t find the net as the match ended 1-0 to Forest.

NUFC U23s XI: Brown; Carlyon, Scott (Vilca 71), Young (Miley 84), Brookwell, Wiggett, Wilson, Anderson, Ferguson (Westendorf 60), De Bolle, Bondswell

NUFC subs not used: Thomson, Bessent

Attendance: 213

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