Boss praises U21s despite Spurs defeat

ADAM Lawrence refused to be too critical of his Newcastle United Under-21s side after they suffered a 4-1 home defeat against Premier League 2 rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

- By MARK CARRUTHERS

The Magpies youngsters almost fell behind within two minutes as Spurs livewire winger Tynan Thompson struck the crossbar.

However, there was to be no let-off just before the midway point of the first half as the impressive Lucas Williams-Barnett found space on the edge of the area and crashed a low drive beyond Max Thompson.

Magpies captain Cathal Heffernan got his side level five minutes before halftime with a fine header after the Republic of Ireland youth international got on the end of an Alfie Harrison free-kick.