The final score showed Sunderland 4 Newcastle United 0 but both away fans and visiting young players were winners before it had even kicked off.
For Newcastle supporters it wasn’t so much about the result, it was all about the fact that it is now in the record books, Sunderland’s first team had to play a first team fixture against NUFC’s Under 21s.
Obviously a victory would have been very much the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake…but the bookies odds of 8/1 on the Newcastle kids winning said it all about this kin of fixture.
Especially with the Mackems putting such a strong side out, well as strong as you can when you are in the third tier of English football.
Even Sunderland owner Stewart Donald said before the game kicked off, that with it being a bunch of kids against the Mackem first team, it was a ‘no lose’ situation for Newcastle United.
As for the young Newcastle team, they could also be proud of themselves after an excellent run of victories that had seen them beat four Leagues One and Two clubs.
Tonight it was even a moral victory in the first half, Newcastle more than held their own and arguably were the better team with the better half chances., as it ended goalless at the break.
A goal just after half-time and then two down seven minutes into the second half predictably knocked the stuffing out of such a young side but they stuck at it.
Not conceding a third until 12 minutes to go and the final one just a few minutes before the final whistle.
The 2,780 Newcastle fans amongst the 16,654 crowd, had a great time, giving this spirited young NUFC team great backing as well as torturing the home supporters with some quality chants.
The roll call of honour saw Newcastle United’s 16 man (boy!) squad include six 18 years olds, six 19 year olds, two 20 year olds and two aged 21.
20 Nathan Harker
18 Oliver Walters
21 Liam Gibson
18 Matty Longstaff
19 Owen Bailey
19 Kelland Watts
19 Thomas Allan
20 Mohammed Sangare
21 Callum Roberts
19 Elias Sorensen
18 Adam Wilson
Subs
19 Rosaire Longelo
18 Yannick Toure
19 Jesus Nunez Cumbreras
Unused Subs
18 Oisin McEntee
18 Dan Langley
A great occasion and crowd for the young black and whites to play in front of and hopefully something that can help progress at least some of them towards eventual first team football at St James Park, especially on the back of having beaten four league opponents in the earlier Checkatrade matches.
Sunderland 4 Newcastle United 0
Newcastle United Under 21s
Harker, Walters, Gibson, (M) Longstaff, Bailey, Watts, Allan (Longelo 68), Sangare, Roberts, Sorensen (Toure 56), Wilson (Cumbreras 74)
Unused subs:
McEntee, Langley
