Newcastle United's Under-18s delivered a commanding performance at the Little Benton Academy, securing a 2-0 victory over Manchester United's youngsters to extend their impressive home form. The Magpies' teenagers struck twice within the opening half-hour, with goals from Rory Finneran and Kacey Wooster setting the tone for a dominant display.

Finneran opened the scoring in the 11th minute, showcasing his composure as he controlled a clearance on the edge of the box before rifling a low shot into the bottom-left corner. The central midfielder, who has captained the Republic of Ireland at Under-19 level, demonstrated why he's considered one of the academy's brightest prospects.

Just 16 minutes later, Wooster doubled Newcastle's lead with a clinical finish. The 18-year-old striker, who joined from Southend United in 2023, pounced on a loose pass, surged past two Manchester United defenders, and fired a low effort into the left-hand corner for his 10th league goal of the season at Under-18 level.

The young Magpies maintained their defensive discipline throughout, restricting the visitors to just two shots on target and recording a clean sheet. This victory marks their fourth consecutive home win, following successes against Sunderland, Burnley, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In the second half, Michael Mills thought he had added a third when he volleyed home from close range, but the England Under-17 representative's effort was disallowed for offside. Substitute Muawiya Ghanem, who scored on his full debut last week against Wolves, came close to finding the net again with a curling effort that flew narrowly wide in the closing stages.

With this result, Chris Moore's side is now on the brink of securing a third-place finish in the league. They can confirm that position with a victory against Leeds United on Tuesday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled for 12pm BST.