1 min Dominic Ballard shot. 0-1

6 mins Dominic Ballard shot. 0-2

30 mins Amadou Diallo penalty. 1-2

33 mins Ben Parkinson shot. 2-2

45+5 mins Charlie McArthur shot. 3-2

Half time: Newcastle U21s 3 Southampton 2

76 mins Jay Turner-Cooke shot. 4-2

83 mins Jay Turner-Cooke shot. 5-2

89 mins Dominic Ballard shot. 5-3

Full time: Newcastle U21s 5 Southampton 3

Following home wins for the first team, U18 and U16 sides on Saturday, Sunday saw the U21s complete a clean sweep of successes, defeating a Southampton side who topped the table last season and finished 19 points ahead of Newcastle. 

Opening up their fixture programme in the newly-amalgamated PL2 single division, Ben Dawson's side endured a nightmarish start at Little Benton and were quickly two behind.

Dominic Ballard took advantage of some lax defending in the opening minute and the visiting striker doubled their advantage just five minutes later, before the hosts had even crossed the halfway line.

United gained a foothold in the contest on the half hour when Charlie McArthur was fouled in the box by the visiting goalkeeper and Amadou Diallo confidently fired home the resultant penalty.

It was 2-2 just three minutes later when Ben Parkinson took Charlie Wiggett's pass and finished well from inside the box.

Newcastle went ahead five minutes into what would be almost 10 minutes of first half added time when the ball fell to Charlie McArthur in the Saints box following a corner kick and he dispatched a rising shot into the top corner.

Southampton came close to an equaliser in the 55th minute when Princewill Ehibhatiomhan's shot grazed the post and bounced away to safety.

That came at a time when the visitors were pressing strongly as they had in the opening stages of the previous half; Jude Smith twice making vital blocks on what was his first competitive game since January after recovering from injury.

The Magpies weathered that storm though and were able to open up a two goal lead when newly-arrived replacement Jay Turner-Cooke was in the right place to profit after Diallo's 76th minute cross from the left side of the box deflected off a defender and into his path. 

Turner-Cooke then made it 5-2 seven minutes later, picking up the ball on the edge of the box and wrong-footing the 'keeper with an excellent finish.

But United were reduced to ten men in the 87th minute when Nathan Carlyon received a second booking from referee Garreth Rhodes; whistled up for obstruction on the edge of the Saints box and then adjudged to have kicked the ball away despite it barely moving...  

Five minutes into 13 added on, Ballard completed his hat-trick as he rounded Smith and slotted home.

However, there was to be no further scoring and those present departed having extracted full value from the free entry available - witnessing eight goals and almost 113 minutes of match time!

Biffa