Latest News
Stanton targeting Northumberland Senior Cup glory after quarter-final triumph
After booking their place in the Northumberland Senior Cup semi-finals following a 4-1 win against Bedlington Terriers, Ellis Stanton is determined for Newcastle United's under-21 side to end the 2023/24 campaign with a piece of silverware.
United's second-string fell behind in their quarter-final tie against the Northern League Division Two side after Joe Ames' opener at Whitley Park before Amadou Diallo's penalty and Stanton's accurate header sent the hosts ahead before the half-time whistle.
Newcastle's youngsters extended their advantage in the second-half with two quick-fire strikes, courtesy of James Huntley's spot-kick and Kyle Crossley's impressive finish, to set up a last-four encounter away at Ashington.
"We started a bit sloppy and slow but we grew into the game and then our quality showed towards the end," Stanton told nufc.co.uk. "We dominated possession and, patiently, we managed to break through the lines and get the goals we needed to go through.
"We knew we'd be able to get back into the game despite conceding with the quality we have. I don't think we doubted ourselves once that we couldn't and a lot of belief within the team.
"If we played to their game, it would have been different. They wanted us to fight but we just wanted to keep the ball and pop it around them, which we managed to do."
"I saw Leo (Shahar) had the ball and he has one of the best deliveries so I managed to get my head onto it and score. I was pleased to see it hit the back of the net. We work on a lot of those situations in training so it was nice to see it come off in a game."
The young Magpies continue their pursuit for a record-extending 39th Northumberland Senior Cup crown as well as their first title since 2018, with the winner of the semi-final tie facing either Blyth Town or Newcastle Benfield in the final at St. James' Park.
Stanton, who joined the Magpies' youth set-up as an eight-year-old, believes the squad are fully capable of venturing further in the competition and is keen to conclude the 2023/24 campaign on a positive note.
The 19-year-old central midfielder added: "We know the quality we have, we should be able to get to the final. If we play at our best as a team, we can beat anybody we face.
"I think we need to try and win this trophy. As you go through the years at the academy, you want to try and win the cup and none of us have done that yet so we'll be wanting to step up to achieve that.
"The way the club is going, we need to be winning trophies like these and it should shine a good light on the Academy."