Beardsley Rues Red Card

By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor

Peter Beardsley admitted that Callum Williams' 58th-minute red card changed the game as Newcastle's under-21s lost 2-1 to league leaders Arsenal on Friday night.

But United's second-string coach backed the Bishop Auckland-born defender - who had made a goal-saving last-ditch tackle moments earlier - to learn from his dismissal, which came after he upended Stephy Mavididi 20 yards from goal with the score at 0-0.

The Gunners went on to take the lead through Alex Iwobi before Mavididi added a second, meaning Alex Gilliead's first goal of the season was a mere consolation.

When asked if the red card was the key moment in the match, Beardsley said: "It's easy to say that now, but probably.

"In the first half, we were outstanding and played some really, really good football. We created some good chances - Ivan (Toney) was unlucky when he hit the bar - and Steve Gatting, their manager, said to us that we were a bit unlucky to lose the game.

"The sending off was a mistake by Cal, a genuine mistake, and he'll learn from it. He'll be feeling a bit sick at the moment but long term, it'll do him good."

Arsenal had won all three of their previous Barclays Under-21 Premier League games, including a 5-0 victory over West Ham, but Beardsley was not surprised to see his team give such a good account of themselves, even with ten men.

"The two games that we had last year, where we won 2-1 away and they won 2-1 here, were good football games," he told nufc.co.uk. "Both teams try to pass the ball and play proper football and to be fair to Arsenal, they try to play like their first team.

"So in that sense we knew it wouldn't be a battle like it was, with all due respect, against Blackburn or Wolves. We always knew we had a chance. We've got some good footballers.

"I thought Ivan was outstanding again; I think we've got a real chance with Ivan. He's been a massive plus for us.

"He wants to score goals, he wants to make goals, and he wants the team to win. I think we've hit lucky with Ivan.

"And at the other end of the pitch, Karl Darlow was outstanding. In the two games that he's played for us, he's mixed in fantastically. That's why we made him captain - his attitude is spot on.

"He's a lovely kid. At the end, he wanted to go up for a free kick but as I said to him, a goalkeeper isn't used to heading the ball.

"He did the right thing in the end - he stood on the halfway line and we pushed another player further forward and for me that's the way it should be because a goalkeeper's there to catch it, not to head it!

"But we laughed about it in the end and he's been a diamond, I have to say.

"Obviously, you want to win but for us it is about developing players and a lot of people come out with a lot of credit tonight so in that sense, we're very positive."