Beardsley upbeat after Wolves stalemate

Clear-cut chances were at a premium on a chilly evening on Tyneside, though substitute Craig Spooner came close to snatching victory for United at the death.

Spooner was one of a handful of Under-18 players involved, with Matty Longstaff – brother of goalscoring midfielder Sean – completing 90 minutes.

The Magpies were without Dan Barlaser, Yasin Ben El-Mhanni and Curtis Good, who all figured for Rafa Benitez’s first team at Oxford United on Saturday.

With a number of youngsters swapping between the club’s representative sides, Beardsley believes there is much to be positive about as the business-end of the campaign approaches.

“There are always plusses for us. On Saturday, we had three kids in the first team, and ten days before that, there were three involved against Birmingham. It sounds like I’m copping out, but that is our job – to produce players. We’ve had three stepping up from the Under-23s, and tonight, we’ve had three stepping up from the Under-18s,” he told nufc.co.uk.

“Matty Longstaff was making his first start at this level, and for him to play 90 minutes is a massive plus. He played an unbelievable pass in the first half, which we should have capitalised on. We know Lew (Lewis McNall) can score goals. He’s done that in the FA Youth Cup this season. They’re all good kids. They want to be here and they want to succeed.

“Being the person I am – and being the type of player I was – the one negative for me tonight was that we didn’t have enough shots.”

Both goalkeepers were kept relatively quiet as the two sides – perched in the upper echelons of the Premier League 2 Division Two ahead of the clash – cancelled each other out.

When called upon, however, United’s Rob Elliot looked assured in between the sticks, the popular stopper looking to force his way back into first-team action after a long lay-off.

Beardsley feels that Elliot has had a hugely positive influence on the Magpies’ young guns in recent weeks, and applauded the 30-year-old for another impressive display.

“Rob is an unbelievable pro with an unbelievable attitude. He was talking to the players at half time, which I always allow a senior player to do. His enthusiasm rubs off on the group, and in the four or five games he has played for us, he has been outstanding,” he said.

“He can ping the ball for fun, he can catch, and his voice frightens people – I could see their forwards thinking, ‘We’re going to get hit, here.’ He gives you that opinion, and it puts them off. And that’s clever – it’s not devious. It’s experience, and that’s what he brings to the group.”