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Watson Pleased With Starlets' Step-Up
Written by Newcastle Utd
Dave Watson believes his youngsters can only benefit from making the step-up to United's under-21 side
By Tom Easterby
After the likes of Sean Longstaff and Stefan Broccoli starred for the second string last week, Newcastle United Under-18 coach Dave Watson says his talented crop of youngsters can only benefit from making the step-up in standard.
In-form midfielder Longstaff, who has caught the eye for Watson's side this season, helped himself to a hat-trick as the Magpies' under-21s demolished Northern League Division Two outfit Team Northumbria in the Northumberland FA Senior Cup, with Academy teammates Broccoli and Dan Ward also on target.
And Watson believes their performances for Peter Beardsley's team and the experience of playing at a higher level will have given them the impetus to push on and develop from here on in.
"They played last week against Team Northumbria in the cup, and they did great. Sean was exceptional, scoring a hat-trick and Dan Ward scored one, Stefan scored one, so it'll do their confidence the world of good," said Watson.
"It's always going to be a help - the better players you play with, the better standard you get to. That's what brings you on, and with us going to Manchester United last Friday with our young side, it was a great performance and you've got to really step up against the better teams."
United slipped to a 2-0 defeat against the Red Devils in the Barclays Under-18 Premier League tie at Altrincham's J. Davidson Stadium on Friday night in what was Watson's youngsters' first competitive outing in three weeks.
The Everton legend says the break has given some of his injured charges a chance to regain full fitness, and that a pause in the fixture schedule means there has been more time for his side to hone their technical skills.
"They've been in training, so it's not as if they've been sitting at home with nothing to do, but the break has been nice," he said.
"It's given the lads who have been injured a little bit of time to get back in time for the games coming back around, so in that way it was a good little break for us.
"It's more or less the same programme we're on. It's not as intense but you can get a bit more technical work done."