Campbell and Taylor pushing for first-team place

SOL Campbell and Steven Taylor pushed their claims for a first-team recall as Newcastle reserves beat Manchester City 1-0 yesterday afternoon. The defensive duo joined Leon Best and Xisco in the starting line-up at the Magpies' Darsley Park training complex as boss Chris Hughton pondered his options ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Bolton. Campbell and Taylor were on the substitutes' bench as Newcastle drew 0-0 with Fulham last weekend, but neither player will be happy with an extended absence from the first team. Campbell is yet to start a Premier League game since moving to Tyneside in the summer, while Taylor has only just completed his recovery from the shoulder injury he sustained at Carlisle in pre-season. Best has been nursing a long-term ankle injury, and yesterday's outing was his first at any level this season. The Republic of Ireland international, who could find himself farmed out on loan if he is unable to break into first-team contention, helped set up the only goal of the game, nodding on Sam Ameobi's corner to enable substitute Matthew Grieve to score. With Shola Ameobi ruled out of this weekend's trip to the Reebok Stadium, Best will hope to be involved in the squad that travels across the Pennines later this week. Joey Barton will not feature against the Trotters as he serves the second of a three-match ban imposed following an altercation with Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen last week. Barton struck Pedersen in the chest at St James' Park, but the Norwegian has been impressed by the controversial midfielder's subsequent actions. "He left a nice message on my answering machine and I called him up the minute we had finished our team meeting," said Pedersen. "Joey shows that there is more to him than what came out on the pitch the other day, and I really appreciate it. It's not everyone who has the courage to call to apologise after such an episode, but Joey did without hesitation." Meanwhile, Kazenga LuaLua has returned to Newcastle from Brighton after breaking his fibula in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Hartlepool.

Source: Northern_Echo