After the senior team lost two out of the past three derbies in pitiful fashion, it was nice to see the reserves inflict some much deserved pain on our overweight rivals, with Ryan Noble getting a hat-trick. There had been a lot of press attention about tonight’s game about Titus Brambles return from a suspension. Apparently he picked up a “knock” and didn’t play, which allowed the more deserving youngsters a chance to get the local headlines.

After getting stuck in a crowd with the Byker Youth Club, we walked to the match and weren’t really sure what to expect. What we got was a result that Brucey and the senior team could only dream of.

The first ten minutes of the match was fairly poor, with both teams struggling to string a pass together. The first real chance of the game was created and nearly finished by the impressive James McLean, after he sprinted past a couple of defenders but could only shoot straight at the Mags’ keeper. SAFC should have taken the lead soon after with the referee disallowing Jordan Cook’s goal after Ryan Noble had been bizarrely polaxed. David Meyler also nearly gave Sunderland the lead after heading over from a McLean free kick. The chances kept on coming, and in the 33 rd minute, Noble was sent through on goal, only to blast his shot over the bar. He should have done better, however he was clearly having his shirt pulled.

It took just five minutes, however, for Noble to get his revenge. After a lovely, passing, sweeping move, Billy Knott put in a superb ball which Noble latched on to, pulled across his marker and stuck it in the bottom corner. The celebration was arguably, even better, running in front of the Newcastle fans with his arms held aloft in the air ala Superkev. Newcastle nearly equalised just two minutes later when a cross from the right was headed at goal from about seven yards. Trevor Carson was at hand, though, to make a superb save, which would prove to be very important. Just three minutes later, Noble punished them for their miss, calmly slotting home after Craig Lynch had had his shot saved.

At half time, we deservedly led after being the superior team for the first forty five minutes. The Byker Youth Club kept going throughout the half though, and gave us timeless classics such as: “You’re sh#t and you know you are” (to Noble before he scored his hat-trick) and the good old “Sunderland’s a sh#t hole I want to go home” (I don’t know if any of you have ever had the horror of ever going to Byker, but if I lived there I would rather sleep in a bin) and finally “Ryan Taylor is one of us.” Ah yes, I had forgotten about him, that lifelong NUFC fan who erm, comes from Liverpool.

Noble soon shut them up though.

It took just one minute after half time for Sunderland’s number nine to get his hat-trick. After a slick bit of play by the rest of the team, it was up to Billy Knott again, to deliver the final through ball. He duly delivered and Noble raced through to score his third.

Game over.

The second half was limited to efforts by Lynch, McLean and Cook, but sadly none of them could find the back of the net. Still though, this result does restore a crumb of comfort for the past couple of atrocities against this lot. Well, played Ryan.

One to look out for: Noble will rightly gain a lot of plaudits after this; however I thought James McLean was outstanding, constantly having a go and driving at the Newcastle left back.

Final Score: SAFC 3 Skunks 0

Team: Carson, Laing, Liddle (Marrs), Meyler, Egan, Killgallon, Lynch (Deacon), Knott (Reed), Noble, Cook, McLean.

Michael Glancey