A tightly contested first half at Derby County's Football Academy ended goalless, but the match ignited shortly after the break. The Newcastle United Under-18s, aiming to build on last weekend's victory over Burnley, found themselves on the back foot when Kieran Clarke broke the deadlock for the Rams just seven minutes into the second half.

The young Magpies' hopes of a comeback suffered a significant setback in the 70th minute as Remi Harvey doubled Derby's lead, putting the hosts firmly in control. Despite the mounting pressure, Newcastle showed their fighting spirit late on.

Introducing Alfie Seldon from the bench proved a smart move, as the in-form 16-year-old winger netted to pull a goal back—his seventh in his last twelve league appearances at this level. However, any hope of a dramatic equalizer was extinguished deep into stoppage time when Zayne Blake sealed a 3-1 victory for Derby, securing all three points for the hosts.

The result leaves Chris Moore's Newcastle side, currently fourth in the Under-18 Premier League North, looking to regroup. They return to league action on Saturday, April 25th, hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Magpies' Little Benton Academy (kick-off 11am BST).