Albion's heroic FA Youth Cup campaign came to an agonising end at St James' Park last night.

Newcastle sneaked through to a two-legged semi-final against Manchester City via a penalty shoot out.

The Seagulls led 2-0 when Joel Lynch and Joe Gatting both scored and Andy Carroll lifted Newcastle's opening spot kick into the empty seats behind Richard Martin's goal.

But the drama had only just begun.

A hat-trick of saves, two by Newcastle's appropriately named keeper Tim Krul from captain Tommy Fraser and Scott Chamberlain, another by Martin to deny sub Callum Little, left the teams locked together as they had been throughout the previous two hours.

Then Albion sub Sam Gargan struck the angle of post and bar with his team's final penalty and Rob Cavener calmly slotted the ecstatic Newcastle youngsters into the last four.

Both sides had earlier hit the woodwork, Gatting firing against a post at the conclusion of extratime for the Seagulls.

It was a sickening way for Dean Wilkins' youngsters to bow out of the competition but they can be proud of their run to the quarterfinal for the first time in the club's history.

And they can take comfort from the fact that, over the course of five-and-a-half hours against a trio of Premiership clubs, they have not been beaten following earlier victories at home to Chelsea and at Blackburn.

It took Wilkins' wonders a while last night to come to terms with Newcastle's style of play.

The hosts had Mark Doninger operating as a support striker to Carroll, a lanky centre forward who scored their extra-time winner in the previous round at Brentford.

Doninger almost gave Newcastle an early lead with a low shot which Martin, deputising in goal for the injured John Sullivan, did well to keep out.

Doninger continued to be a threat throughout the first half, in spite of Albion adjusting their tactics in an attempt to contain him.

Paul Hinshelwood produced a fine saving tackle on the Magpies'

dangerman when he threatened to convert a cross from Kazenga Lualua, a relative of the former Newcastle forward Lomano now at Portsmouth.

Doninger went close again just before the interval with an effort narrowly wide from 20 yards.

The young Seagulls upped the tempo in the second half.

Gatting headed a chance from a Lynch cross well wide and Chamberlain forced the sprawling Krul into his first serious save in the 55th minute with a deflected shot following a solo run.

Hearts were in mouths though nine minutes later as Albion had a double escape.

A 20-yard free kick by Nicky Deverdics struck the bar and Carroll's header from the rebound was blocked on the line by Lynch, left back for the first team but an outstanding centre half for the youngsters.

Gatting, persistence personified, so nearly won it for the Seagulls right at the end of extra-time when he turned on a cross from Wes Fogden to fire against the base of the left-hand post.

That paved the way for the agony and cruelty of the shoot out, which left Albion's mistyeyed kids with broken hearts and shattered dreams.

Wilkins said: "I feel so sorry for the players. I was absolutely certain we were going to win the competition and we have gone out in such a cruel way.

"We did not deserve to lose at all. I thought we were the better team.

"Peter Beardsley told Scott Chamberlain he was the best player on the pitch. Scott was in tears, like the rest of the side.

"They are really disappointed not to get what they deserved on such a big stage.

"The club's reputation for youth development must be sky high now. We've had a reputation down south for a few years but now they will be talking about us up north as well."