Woodman: "We'll Go At Them"

By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor

Penalty king Freddie Woodman is determined to ensure that it won't be a Blue Monday when Newcastle host Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup on Monday (kick-off 7.05pm).

The 17-year-old goalkeeper made two great saves as United beat local rivals Sunderland on penalties in the last round to set up the last-eight clash against the holders.

He knows that he might have to be at his best again when the West London side come to St. James' Park - they have scored 14 goals in their three FA Youth Cup games so far including six against both Huddersfield and Swansea.

But the Magpies took the Blues to extra time at the same stage of last season's competition and, with free admission on offer and a big crowd expected, home advantage could prove crucial for the Toon teenagers

"We'll go at them," Woodman told nufcTV. "It's going to be a tough game, obviously, but it's football.

"It's 11 people from our team and 11 people from their team just going at it.

"That's what we did (against Sunderland) - we just went at it the whole game and it went to a shoot-out. That's what happens in football; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

And Woodman - who, together with Adam Armstrong, helped England to win the European Under-17 Championships in Malta last summer, is ready to perform more shoot-out heroics if required.

The tie must be decided on the night so extra-time and penalties are a possibility and Woodman admitted: "I feel like that's part of my game that's quite good.

"I was confident coming into (the Sunderland shoot-out) and in May I was confident going into the penalty shoot-out (when England beat Holland in the final). My preparation was exactly the same."

Admission at St. James' Park on Monday night is FREE to all supporters via the East Stand turnstiles, which will open one hour before kick-off.