Newcastle's U23 side sealed their promotion playoff place thanks to victory at the Bet365 Stadium on Monday night - but only after giving their opponents a two goal start.

The Potters still harboured hopes of sneaking into the playoffs and took a 12th minute lead when Gabriel Kyeremateng burst through the visiting defence and volleyed past Nathan Harker.

Clad in their blue change strip, United soon had the chance to level when Mo Sangare was fouled in the area, but debutant goalkeeper Nathan Broome dived low to his right and blocked Owen Bailey's penalty attempt - his second spot kick miss in as many games.

Things soon got worse for the visitors, when a defensive error surrendered possession to City on the edge of the United box, Dan Jarvis slipping the ball over the advancing Harker on 26 minutes for 0-2.

Trailing by two goals at the interval, United made a positive start to the second half and Broome was soon tested by Matty Longstaff. A breakthrough did come in the 65th minute, when Bailey atoned for his earlier rick by heading home a Sangare centre from the right following a corner.

A superb flowing move from Newcastle almost led to an instant leveller, Olly Walters seeing his fierce drive beaten away by Broome and Jamie Sterry sending the rebound into orbit from eight yards.

Stoke's lead was wiped out on 68 minutes though, when Tyrique Bartlett headed a forward pass out to fellow substitute Yannick Toure on the United left and he finished well with a low curling effort from the edge of the area.

Striker Elias Sorensen pinged a shot over the bar with twelve minutes of normal time left, but within 90 seconds Bailey had headed in Longstaff's outswinging corner to put the Magpies 3-2 ahead.

That third goal knocked the stuffing out of the Potters and Ben Dawson's side survived four minutes of added time before celebrating the win.

The top five finishers are now known, with a 0-1 defeat for Wolves at Aston Villa on Monday leaving the top of the table even tighter. However, the Premier League 2 Division two title - and one automatic promotion place - is Southampton's to lose, with their final two games both winnable.

Premier League 2 Division two - top six: 

Pos	Team	Played	Gd	Pts
1	Southampton	20	+12	39
2	Wolves	20	+21	37
3	Newcastle	20	+13	37
4	Reading	20	+12	37
5	Aston Villa	20	+6	36
6	Man United	20	-2	27

Top five - remaining games:

12.04.2019 Reading v Aston Villa
15.04.2019 Newcastle v Manchester United
15.04.2019 Wolves v Stoke City
18.04.2019 West Brom v Southampton
26.04.2019 Manchester United v Wolves
26.04.2019 Stoke City v Reading
28.04.2019 Boro v Newcastle
29.04.2019 Aston Villa v West Brom
29.04.2019 Southampton v mackems

Biffa