Blackburn Rovers Under-18s 3 Newcastle United Under-18s 2

Lancashire: A dramatic late strike from Joseph lifted Blackburn Rovers Under-18s to a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United Under-18s at the club’s Football Academy, capping a topsy-turvy contest that featured two own goals and a stoppage-time penalty.

The hosts struck first when Newcastle defender Henry Johnson inadvertently turned the ball past his own keeper midway through the opening half, handing Rovers a lead they carried into the interval.

Newcastle’s youngsters responded ten minutes after the restart as Harry Holt’s attempted clearance flew into his own net, restoring parity. Momentum swung further in the visitors’ favour when in-form forward Kacey Wooster lashed home his eighth league goal of the 2025-26 campaign, marking a third consecutive match in which the striker has found the scoresheet.

With time ebbing away, Rovers were awarded a penalty that midfielder Archie McCoy converted to level matters once more. The decisive moment arrived in the dying embers of the fixture as Joseph pounced to seal the points for the home side.

The result sets up a keenly anticipated local derby for Newcastle, who return to Little Benton Academy on Saturday, 7 March to face Sunderland in the Under-18 Premier League North (kick-off 11am GMT).

Newcastle United Under-18s: Roman Dowell, Henry Johnson, Jake Durrant (Guy Bloomer 35), Aaron Epia (Kayden Lucas 45), Isaac Moran, Matty Taylor (c), Ezra Tika-Lemba (Noah Morgan 86), Jude Cogdon, Kacey Wooster, Sammy Pinnington, Matheos Ferreira (Ethan Ndiweni 86).