14 mins Akins shot 0-1

29 mins Quinn shot 0-2

Half time: Stags 2 Magpies U21s 0

69 mins Quinn shot 0-3

Full time: Stags 3 Magpies U21s 0

There was a competitive Magpies bow for fit-again Garang Kuol, just over two years after joining the club. The 20 year-old featured in both post-season first team games in Australia last May and the closed door meeting with SpVgg in July but has been out since with a thigh problem.

NUFC in the EFL Trophy - all time:

Played 26, Won 4, Drawn 3, Lost 19, goals for 24, goals against 56.

2017/18 Crewe Alexandra won 2-1
2017/18 Port Vale lost 0-1
2017/18 Oldham Athletic lost 1-4
2018/19 Doncaster Rovers won 3-1
2018/19 Notts County won 2-0
2018/19 Grimsby Town won 3-2
2018/19 Macclesfield Town drew 1-1 (won 5-3 pens)*
2018/19 mackems lost 0-4
2019/20 Macclesfield Town lost 1-2
2019/20 Shrewsbury Town lost 0-3
2019/20 Port Vale lost 1-2
2020/21 Shrewsbury Town lost 0-3
2020/21 Crewe Alexandra lost 0-1
2020/21 Bolton Wanderers lost 2-3
2021/22 Sheffield Wednesday lost 0-3
2021/22 Harrogate Town lost 0-2
2021/22 Mansfield Town lost 3-6
2022/23 Doncaster Rovers drew 0-0 (lost 2-4 pens)
2022/23 Barnsley lost 0-2
2022/23 Lincoln City lost 0-2
2023/24 Wrexham lost 0-1
2023/24 Port Vale drew 1-1 (lost 2-3 pens)
2023/24 Crewe Alexandra lost 1-2
2024/25 Bradford City drew 2-2 (won 4-3 pens)
2024/25 Rotherham United lost 1-3
2024/25 Mansfield Town lost 0-3

* At SJP, all others were away ties.

Newcastle's U21s concluded their group stage games in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night with a loss that ended their lingering hopes of progressing to the last 32.

United needed to victory in 90 minutes at Field Mill in order to stand a chance of sneaking into the second qualification place, but never looked like doing so.  

League One Mansfield were pointless after their opening two fixtures and unable to qualify, but grabbed a 14th minute lead when Ben Quinn's left wing cross was volleyed in by Lucas Akins.

The Magpies twice threatened an equaliser; Garang Kuol's 24th minute effort blocked at his near post by veteran goalkeeper Scott Flinders. Kuol then set up Ben Parkinson to centre from the right four minutes later, but Travis Hernes was unable to keep his effort down with the goal at his mercy.

That proved to be a costly miss as the Stags doubled their advantage seconds later; Quinn running on to Frazer Blake-Tracey's incisive through ball and side-footing past Aidan Harris.

Jay Turner-Cooke's fine pass then released Kuol in the 36th minute and he cut in from the left flank, only to wastefully shoot weakly straight at the 'keeper.

Mansfield went close to adding a third goal to their tally four minutes after the resumption, George Maris sending a fine curling effort just wide of the target.

After visiting substitute Trevan Sanusi had sent a flashing low effort past the post, a powerful drive by Quinn then made it 3-0 to Nigel Clough's side on 69 minutes.

Quinn latched on to a long forward ball five minutes later and headed for the Newcastle goal, only for Harris to block the effort and deny him a hat-trick.

The closing stages of this tie saw five U18 players on the field for the Magpies, trying to find a way past a 38 year-old between the sticks. One of those - substitute Sean Neave - sent his volley straight at the goalkeeper with eight minutes to play.

Neave was then upended by Flinders in the box as he tried to reach the rebound from Turner-Cooke's shot and referee Thomas Bramall pointed to the penalty spot in the 88th minute. However Flinders proved equal to a tame spot kick from Parkinson. 

And so another fruitless EFL Trophy campaign ends, with Matty Longstaff still the last Newcastle player to score a winning goal in the competition, 21 games and six years previously.

The entertainment value of the competition to home fans is questionable, but in terms of giving youngsters a taste of "proper" football it's more relevant than age-specific U18 or U21 leagues and another part of the pathway from the juniors to the seniors. Hopefully several of those involved for United here will emulate Lewis Miley, who made his reserve bow in a Trophy tie during 2022.

Thanks to the redoubtable GW