Bailey bemoans late 'switch-off' as Blades end Magpies' run

The Magpies had trailed with barely two minutes on the clock at Stocksbridge Park Steels’ Bracken Moor, with Tyler Smith firing into the roof of the net following William Portman’s cross-come-shot. However, they deservedly hit back through Victor Fernández after the break, and – at that point – looked the more likely to go on and win the game.

But, with less than a quarter of an hour to play, United lost track of Smith on the edge of their own penalty area, and the frontman got the better of Nathan Harker once more to settle a closely-fought quarter-final.

It was a tad harsh on Newcastle – who could easily have led had Mo Sangare made the most of a one-on-one opportunity just minutes earlier – but Bailey acknowledged that the Magpies only had themselves to blame after exiting the competition at the last-eight stage for the second season in a row.

“I think we were slow to get going, to be honest,” he told nufc.co.uk. “Conceding as early as we did, it was always going to be an uphill battle from there. But we did well to get ourselves back in the game, and I thought from there we were the better team and there was only going to be one team to win it. But we just switched off for 30 seconds, and they go up the other end and score. It’s one of those nights, really.

“We controlled the game quite well. We just need to improve our finishing – that’s not just the forwards, that’s the full team. We need to be more clinical, and put games like that – which we should really be winning – to bed.

“Coming down here tonight, we were hoping for a big win but obviously we didn’t get it. We were just concentrating on this game and weren’t looking too far ahead, but obviously with it being a quarter-final it was a massive game for the club and we’re just gutted that the cup run has come to nothing.”

Despite a disappointing campaign in the Premier League 2 Division Two, the Magpies’ youngsters could yet end the season with more than one piece of silverware.

They take on Morpeth Town for the Northumberland Senior Cup in May, and will clinch their place in the final of another competition should they overcome FC Porto at St. James’ Park in the Premier League International Cup on Thursday.

But Bailey – who was again handed the captain’s armband at Bracken Moor – isn’t looking as far in advance, with a visit to promotion-chasing Blackburn Rovers up first for the Magpies on Monday.

“We concentrate on the game at Blackburn first. We’ll give that our all because we need to improve our league form,” he said. “But obviously, the Porto game is massive. It’s a quick-fire turnaround and we need to pick ourselves up and get going again.

“I think we’re getting better but it’s just basic errors that we keep getting wrong. I think if we can put a performance together over 90 minutes, we will get a good result. We need to concentrate on putting that performance together – not just playing well for 45 minutes and tailing away, or playing well after a slow start.”