Newcastle United U21 side topped Group G last night by beating Grimsby Town 3-2 in the Checkatrade Trophy.
The youngsters have done really well this season and have a 100% record in the competition and have now reached the last 32.
We beat Doncaster Rovers and Notts County in the previous games but yesterday’s game at Blundell Park was a tough one.
Newcastle went behind early in this game but then Cal Roberts equalized from an Elias Sørensen’s cutback.
Roberts then did brilliantly to deliver a cross that Elias Sorensen headed home for yet another goal from Danish youngster.
But then in the second half Cook produced a fantastic equalizer for Grimsby from 12 yards out that gave Harker no chance.
Young Matty Longstaff (Sean’s brother) then scored the winner with a magnificent 20-yard free kick to give the young Magpies their third successive win in the competition.
Elias Sorensen after scoring Newcastle’s second goal
U21 manager Ben Dawson had this to say about the win:
“We had to show all of those skills like character, resilience and togetherness to get back in the game.”
“This group have got that in abundance.”
“We played our way into the game and scored two terrific goals in terms of what we’d worked on.”
“We could be a bit more critical in terms of game management.”
“We had to work out whether we could continue playing or get in behind them more.”
“We did well for the most part but it was a fantastic win and great to get three wins in the group stages.”
“We worked on a few things from training like playing through the lines.”
“We tried to get our number 10 the ball more but the preparation in the Southampton game helped the lads a lot.”
“The conditions were horrendous down there.”
“They kept plugging away down there and got a reward at the end of the game.”
“It proved to them they could dig in and do things they aren’t used to.”
The U21 side have come alive this season and there are some talented young players in the team.
The lads will have a home tie at St. James’ Park in their next game in an attempt to reach the last 16 in the competition.
Let’s hope some of them can come through and be first team players in the next year or two.
Comments welcome.
14 comments so far
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:03 AM
Comment #1I am prepared to back large signings for millions of pounds but for a player who is young and has their career in front of them and not for established players at the other end of their careers. There is no other workable way forward for Newcastle. It is in this regard that Dennis and his team have done a first class job in scouting for talent to secure the future of the club.
You only need to look at some of our signings to see that it is working, slowly working. Look at Jonas Guttierrez and Fabricio Collocini. These are world class players. The plan is showing dividends with the signing of exceptional young talent such as Sebastien Bassong, Danny Guthrie and Xisco.
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:04 AM
Comment #2I have put Newcastle on a sound financial footing. It is reducing its debt. It is spending within itself. It is recruiting exciting new players and bringing in players for the future.
The fans want this process to happen more quickly and they want huge amounts spent in the transfer market so that the club can compete at the top table of European football now. I am not stupid and have listened to the fans. I have really loved taking my kids to the games, being next to them and all the fans. But I am now a dad who can’t take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted. Therefore, I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United.
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:07 AM
Comment #3I have the interests of Newcastle United at heart. I have listened to you. You want me out. That is what I am now trying to do but it won’t happen overnight and it may not happen at all if a buyer does not come in.
You don’t need to demonstrate against me again because I have got the message. Any further action will only have an adverse effect on the team. As fans of Newcastle United you need to spend your energy getting behind, not me, but the players who need your support.
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:09 AM
Comment #4I bought Newcastle United in May 2007. Newcastle attracted me because everyone in England knows that it has the best fans in football. When the fans are behind the club at St James’ Park it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It is magic. Newcastle’s best asset has been, is and always will be the fans.
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:11 AM
Comment #5Ashley bought the club to exploit us fans. From the start.
Biggest assest is the fans.
He knew wed have to make the hard decsion one day to decide to not watch the team to get rid of him.
Genjikai
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:20 AM
Comment #6He knows how hard a descion is for us toon fans to not turn up at st james park.
He needs rid of asap.
Keep up the pressure do your part and we will be rid.
Munster Mag
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:22 AM
Comment #7Chico good to hear from you. Shocking stuff and tragic loss of life.
RobLeenio
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:33 AM
Comment #8“We could be a bit more critical in terms of game management. We had to work out whether we could continue playing or get in behind them more.”
The age-old dilemma for a coach – try to see the game out or go for the win.
I think Rafa’s instincts are towards the former, Ben Dawson’s towards the latter.
Here’s a question, given fans on here and elsewhere have called for the inclusion of more of our youth players, if the worst case scenario happens and Rafa walks in the Summer, could we get behind Ben Dawson promoted as Manager with a remit to bring through the players he’s been working with for years in the Academy?
That has to be a better option than Warnock / Fat Sam / Pardew etc.
L Toon
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:33 AM
Comment #9Jokanovic sacked by fulham and replaced by claudio ranieri.
DubaiMicky
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:34 AM
Comment #10Ranieri as new Fulham manager – good or bad decision for the Fulham fans? I’d say good – Mitro could be the new vardy?
Rotonda heights
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Comment #11Fair play to Ben Dawson, he’s doing tremedously well. Really should be no way back for my favourite all time NUFC player Beardo now. As always a situation handled appallingly badly by Charnley and co.
Really have to take your hats off to IRGWG, the Ashley out campaign, Sports RE-direct and the Magpie group. Sports direct has had nearly half a billion knocked off their value. That’s some going.
Re – a boycott, I’ve always thought it was worth a one off in front of sky cameras. The crowd was awesome v Bournemouth, but maybe after being primed by Bishop and Charnley, Ash thinks he has done enough now turning up for a few games. As fantastic as the support was, if we are proportionately safe in the near future I would still advocate a one off boycott for maximum effect and to further enhance what the aforementioned groups have already achieved to date..
Remember our beloved owner is a proven in court pathological liar and master of re-direction and anything he is doing now is totally cosmetic and prompted by his PR monkeys, rather than him experiencing an amazing epiphany. If somehow proper money is spent in January and Rafa is given some of Ash’s famous reassurances that actually turn out to be true for once then that would only be a start on a very long road to redemption.
The drunken oaf’s greed when dealing with the Mansours has given us Ritchie instead of Silva, Joselu instead of Aguerro etc, etc….
Jib
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:39 AM
Comment #12I think Ashley has upped his share of SD
to about 75%
£400M for NUFC would just about be enough
for him to buy out the remainder and delist from
the stock market , which he’s been determined to do
since the last shareholders meeting.
Rotonda heights
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:40 AM
Comment #13That’s bizarre
I was just thinking if worst came to worst and Rafa was off, then either promotiong Dawson or getting in Ranieri would be the best options, rather than an Allardyce, warnock dinosaur type.
RobLeenio
Nov 14, 2018 at 9:45 AM
Comment #14Lol Rotonda – great minds and all that.
I hadn;t considered Ranieri. I’m still not convinced by him as a coach, despite his unbelievable achievement in winning the Prem with Leicester, but defo better than those already mentioned.
Ben Dawson seems the real deal, intelligent, authoritative, knows the youth players, can evidently coach.
He would also suit Mike Ashley down the the ground – no cost to get him in, wouldn’t be expensive on wages either and if we as fans turned on him, we’d be turning on one of our own, so he’d be likely to get at least some leeway just from goodwill.