The Journal reported afterwards: "Yet even though the stadium was transformed to something of a library following the cauldron of noise in the Premier League encounter between United and Wigan, the empty backdrop didn't affect the youngsters' performance."And I'm sure ANYONE would relish the prospect of playing in such a fabulous stadium, even if it was 99% empty. After all ... Middlesbrough's first team do it regular at the Riverside these days.
We all know Kevin Keegan was never a lover of reserve team football, saying "the experienced players never like playing in these games because of the lack of atmosphere". But the youngsters must thrive on playing in such a venue.
Team coach Lee Clark was delighted with the performance, and the result, and had special praise for striker Jonny Godsmark who marked his 18th birthday with a top-notch performance.