Matty hungry for more as Magpies reach knockout stages

Ben Dawson’s side made sure they topped the Northern Section’s Group G following a 3-2 win against Grimsby Town on Tuesday night, with Longstaff providing the game’s decisive moment with a sweetly-struck free kick in the 78^th minute.

The Magpies had already overcome Doncaster Rovers and Notts County ahead of their trip to Blundell Park, and are now assured of a home draw in the last 32, which is set to get up and running early next month.

Longstaff acknowledged that a Checkatrade clash at St. James’ Park will pose a different sort of test to those United have come across in the competition up until now, but the teenage midfielder insists he and his teammates won’t be setting any limits as to how far they can progress.

“All of the lads are raring to go. We want to go as far as possible – we want to get our names out there to other clubs, and show that we’re a good side and a well-coached side,” he told nufc.co.uk. “Getting out of the group is a big thing, but we don’t just want to do that – we want to go as far as possible.

“Playing at St. James’ Park will be a challenge. Obviously, we haven’t played at home in the competition before. We’ve sat off on teams a bit – so we might have to look at getting on the ball a bit more going forward – but I imagine we’ll try and stick to what we know best to try and get through.

“It’s a massive achievement for us. Every game we’ve played, we’ve been good. We’ve dug in. I think we were the only Under-21 side who could win three out of three and go through top of the group with nine points. To be able to do that is great for team morale.”

The Magpies got off to a difficult start at Blundell Park, falling behind to JJ Hooper’s strike early on, but they headed into the break in the ascendancy thanks to Cal Roberts’ confident finish and Elias Sørensen’s header.

Jordan Cook’s acrobatic effort restored parity for a second time, only for Longstaff to have the final say with a low, curling strike into the far corner after Roberts was tripped 20 yards out.

Longstaff applauded United for showing their mettle against the League Two side, and spoke of his surprise at being afforded the chance to take aim from the set-piece which – ultimately – proved pivotal.

“Normally Elias takes them, or Sean (Longstaff) or Cal. They’d already had theirs, so I got the ball – hoping one of them would let me take it – and Cal was like, ‘Do you want it?’ And I didn’t turn it down!” he laughed. “I gave it a hit, and luckily it went in. There were a few parents and supporters behind the goal, which was good, but the main thing was to win the game and go through.

“It just shows the resilience of the boys. We went 1-0 down and within 20 minutes, we were 2-1 up. I think it just shows the character we’ve got, but also the quality we’ve got. Elias has been scoring constantly, and you’ve got the likes of Cal doing the same thing. It makes it easier knowing you have those two up there who can go and get you goals.”