INJURED duo Stewart Downing and Adam Boyd last night received the perfect pick-me-up with double honours at The Prince's Trust North-East Footballer of the Year awards.

Downing, sidelined with a knee injury watched his side succumb to Sunderland in Sunday's derby at the Riverside.

But last night he was crowned both Footballer of the Year and Young Footballer of the Year at the event held at Gateshead's Federation Brewery.

And another injured crowd favourite, Hartlepool United's Boyd, was also presented with a double honour.

He is the North-East's Coca-Cola League player of the year after his 29 goals fired Pool into the play-off final last season.

And he also won the goal of the season award for his spectacular hat-trick clinching solo effort in atrocious conditions at Victoria Park against Sheffield Wednesday.

Newcastle's Shay Given's double stop against Spurs in the FA Cup earned him the save of the season award.

Footballer of the year: Stewart Downing.

Young footballer of the year: Stewart Downing

Coca-Cola League footballer of the year: Adam Boyd

Goal of the season: Adam Boyd.

Save of the season: Shay Given.

The Prince's Trust recognition award: Mick McCarthy

Non-league award: Jarrow Roofing

* Four senior players returned to ease Steve McClaren's injury concerns when part of a winning reserve team last night.

Chris Riggott and Stuart Parnaby have not kicked a ball for the first team this season, while little has been seen of either Gaizka Mendieta or Szilard Nemeth.

However, all four totted up the minutes last night as Boro's second string beat Wigan 2-0 at the Riverside to put them close to first team action.

Riggott, Mendieta and Nemeth all played the opening 45 minutes, while Parnaby comfortably completed 90.

The need for a defender to travel to Xanthi for Thursday's UEFA Cup tie, is paramount following the injury suffered by Ugo Ehiogu during Sunday's derby defeat by Sunderland.

Riggott could be in contention as could 19-year-old Matthew Bates, who also played the full game last night.

Nemeth opened the scoring after 33 minutes when chipping former Boro keeper Gary Walsh from ten yards, but Boro had to wait until six minutes from time before wrapping it up when Adam Johnson tucked up from ten yards following a flowing build up.

In between the home side's goals Wigan went close on a number of occasions with goalkeeper David Knight twice saving well from Australian international Josip Skoko, while Ryan Taylor twice went close with well struck efforts.

BORO: Knight, Parnaby, Hines, Cattermole, Riggott (Wheater 46), Bates, Mendieta (Liddle 46), Kennedy, Graham, Nemeth (Craddock 46), Johnson. Subs (not used): Cooper, Owents.

* League One strugglers Swindon Town were last night in talks with boss Andy King over his departure from the club after a poor start to the season.

King was in discussion with the County Ground board of directors all day and coach Iffy Onuora has been put in charge of first-team affairs.

Five straight defeats have seen the Robins slump to second bottom of the table and they were dumped out of the Carling Cup at the first hurdle by Wycombe.