Newcastle United under-21's tasted defeat on Monday evening but the young Magpies got a taste of playing in front of two very important figures at Little Benton. Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth were both in attendance, alongside academy director Steve Harper, as Ben Dawson's side lost 5-2 to West Brom under-21's.
Newcastle's youngsters are struggling in Premier League 2 Division 2 but Howe has made no secret of wanting to see the club's youth talents make the jump to the senior squad. Matthew Bondswell and Lewis Miley, who both started in Monday's defeat, have already experienced life in the first team under Howe but for the likes of Max Thompson, Michael Ndiweni and Amadou Dillao it was a chance to impress in front of the senior boss.
Elliot Anderson is proof you can earn a shot at first-team football on Tyneside with impressive performances both in the youth setup and out on loan, and Newcastle will be keen to try and produce similar stories in the years to come.
