Newcastle United under-21s returned to St James' Park for the first time in 18 months and marked the occasion with a 3-2 win over Sunderland under-21s in PL2. Goals from Kyran Thompson, Park Seung-soo and Vakhtang Salia gave Robbie Stockdale's side their first league win of the season, as they came from behind twice in front of 5,100 fans.
A Night to Remember at St James' Park
Head coach Matthias Jaissle, sporting director Ross Wilson, and PIF chief and Newcastle director Jacobo Solis were among the crowd, watching the young Magpies secure a third successive win in all competitions.
Stockdale told Chronicle Live: "It was a really good night, really enjoyable. It felt like a proper game. I'm really pleased for the players. It means a lot to the players and the staff, obviously. To do it in the way that we did it, coming from behind, having real determination, real quality, in front of 5,000 people at St James', it's a brilliant night for us."
Stockdale Praises Team Reaction
Reflecting on the performance, Stockdale noted that the team should have been two or three goals better off in the first half, but praised the reaction to going 1-0 down. He said: "I think the final bit in the first half was the bit that was lacking. We probably should have been two or three goals better off. Obviously, the bit that's in my mind is how they're going to react to playing so well and being 1-0 down. I thought the reaction was really good."
He also highlighted the impact of the substitutes and the team's defensive resilience: "The substitutes that came on had a massive impact on the game as well. It was really pleasing to get over the line. I actually felt relatively comfortable with the end of the game as well. I thought we defended our box really well, so everybody could be really happy with the night's work. If the final act wasn't quite there in the first half, it certainly was in the second."
Preparation for Upcoming Challenges
The St James' Park experience serves as preparation for the team's upcoming fixtures, including a Premier League Cup clash with Peterborough United at Whitley Park and a crucial Jersey Mike's Trophy match at Rotherham United, where a place in the knockout stages is at stake.
Stockdale emphasised the value of playing at the stadium: "You turn up at the stadium, the pitch is incredible. There's a really good crowd, there's an away following, there's a bit of spice to the game. It's not quite Premier League standard, but it felt real at the end. The fact that the boys are willing to stand up for their teammates, and some of them did as well, they really battled well in the game. It was great to play here in front of a decent crowd."
He added: "I think I said to the boys there, the majority of them are going to have really successful careers in the game. I still remember games in my youth team days where it was a special night because I was playing with my mates. I think they'll remember that tonight as well. It's as close as we can get because the U21s programme, as you know, because you guys come to the games, the games can feel a little bit youth-teamy, dare I say it. There's nothing against that, but we're trying to prepare them for senior football. Me being as miserable as I am, I just mentioned to the boys at the end there, we've got Peterborough on Friday night at Whitley Park. The professional side of the footballer is you have to do that again when there's maybe not 5,000 people cheering you."
Relationship with First Team Strengthened
When asked about the possibility of more St James' Park experiences this season, Stockdale noted that the relationship with the first team has improved. He said: "I've got to stay in my lane a little bit. All I would say is that the players experienced something that felt like the first team, and that's what we want to try and replicate for them. Because if we send players out on loan, they'll be all the better for having those experiences. I think I've said to you guys before that the relationship previously with the first team and us was fantastic, but now it's gone up another level, truth be told. The fact that the first-team staff are here, they know all our players, we have discussions every day about them, I think they'll go away really satisfied with what we're doing with them."
