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Dan: 'We Raised The Bar Against Boro'
Written by Newcastle Utd
Daniel Barlaser hailed the never-say-die attitude of United Under-18s following their FA Youth Cup win
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
Goalscorer Daniel Barlaser hailed the never-say-die attitude of Newcastle United Under-18s as they came from behind to secure a place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup on Thursday night.
Trailing 2-1 against Middlesbrough with just five minutes remaining, the Magpies turned the tie on its head in the most dramatic fashion - first with Barlaser firing home, before Sean Longstaff grabbed an injury-time winner.
And while it stunned the crowd at the Riverside Stadium, it was no surprise to Turkish youth international Barlaser, who believes the character and togetherness in United's dressing room can see them go far in the competition.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," the midfielder told nufc.co.uk after the final whistle.
"Overall I think we just about deserved it.
"There were a couple of decisions which didn't go our way - I didn't think it was a penalty for them - but we never gave up and got the win in the end, which was the most important thing.
"Things weren't going well for us but we knew we had the quality and capability in the team to go on and turn it around, which we did.
"You've seen our team spirit out there. We keep working for each other and keep going right to the end.
"We will never give up on games, and who knows where that can take us."
Despite only being 17-years-old, Barlaser has been a regular for Newcastle's second-string this term, putting in some eye-catching performances in the famous black and white stripes.
He impressed again with an excellent, composed equaliser on Thursday, receiving a cross from the left and working space for himself before finishing superbly.
And the Gateshead-born star believes his experiences up the ladder can only benefit he and his teammates when it comes to FA Youth Cup action.
"My legs were going, they were on top of us and then the ball came to me inside the box," he explained.
"I thought about hitting it first time on my right foot but I took a touch onto my left and just finished from there into the corner.
"It was a great feeling to do it at a place like this. It's amazing to play in stadiums like this, especially for some of the younger lads who haven't done it before.
"Big stadiums and a decent crowd - it's what everyone wants.
"Some of the lads in the team are first years who haven't experienced a lot of football, so I try to help them.
"I've been playing for the under-21s a lot this season so I try to pass on anything I can to the players around me. The experience I've got this season can only be a good thing, for me and the team."