Newcastle United U21s bowed out of the Northumberland Senior Cup after a quarter-final defeat at Whitley Bay FC. The young Magpies have now lost four on the bounce after being beaten 3-1 by their non-league opponents.
Given the short turnaround from Monday night's defeat to Crystal Palace, Elliott Dickman made wholesale changes to his starting eleven. Harry Barclay, Dylan Stephenson, Jay Turner-Cooke, and Joe White all dropped down to the bench, while recent signing Amadou Diallo was handed a first start since signing a deal until the end of the season.
Whitley Bay compete in the ninth-tier of English football, but unsettled the visitors and raced into a two-goal lead at the interval courtesy of Lewis Orrell and Andrei Arledean. The Magpies improved after the break and pulled one back through Michael Ndiweni, but were condemned to defeat by a superb late strike from Malcolm Morie.
Here are three things we learned from Newcastle U21s defeat on Wednesday night.
READ MORE: Whitley Bay FC vs Newcastle United U21s highlights
Character test
Dickman laid down the gauntlet to his side ahead of the tie, insisting it would show whether his players could handle 'men's football'. The second-string had responded well to their recent four-goal thrashing at Bristol City despite the home defeat to Palace, but struggled to adjust to the challenge posed by their non-league opponents.
Newcastle managed to fashion openings of their own, but could not cope with the pace and power of their hosts. All too often, gaps were found in the Magpies backline as Whitley Bay enjoyed success with a direct approach.
The visitors improved as the contest wore on, unsurprisingly coinciding with the introduction of Stephenson, Turner-Cooke and White from the bench. Newcastle's improved passing and pace on the counter saw them pull one back and push for an equaliser.
In the end, they were ruthlessly punished for some poor defending by the halfway line as Morien emphatically dispatched the ball beyond Thompson. There were again a few encouraging signs despite the defeat, but it does mean Dickman's side have now lost four on the bounce.
Diallo display
Dickman opted to make wholesale changes as Newcastle faced a second match in three days, and this handed Diallo just his second start since signing. The former West Ham prospect started as a trialist in the draw at Middlesbrough in September and against Bristol City in the opening Premier League Cup defeat, but has otherwise been forced to settle for a handful of substitute appearances.
It was an attacking line-up from Dickman, with both Diallo and Josh Scott named in central midfield roles either side of Jamie Miley. It was an unfamiliar role for the 19-year-old, who is typically used as a left winger.
However, Diallo showed signs of his explosive pace from deep before making a difference in the latter stages in his usual wide role. It was the recent signing's initial shot which led to Ndiweni's equaliser to set the stage for a grandstand finish.
Like many of his new team-mates, Diallo is battling to impress after earning an initial contract until the end of the season. It is clear the teenager is no central midfielder, but there were glimpses in his performance to suggest he could make another start in the coming Premier League Cup games.
White sends message
It ultimately proved to be in vain, but the playmaker made an instant impact following his introduction. Within minutes, White picked up possession and found Diallo which led to Ndiweni pulling one back.
The former Hartlepool United loanee alongside Turner-Cooke provided the control and composure in possession which Newcastle had lacked in midfield. White would almost certainly have started had he not featured against Palace, and the Magpies struggled in the absence of the midfielder and several others, particularly in the first-half.
The 20-year-old took a while to find his form after coming back from injury over the summer, but showed his quality with a run of three goals in as many league games. Dickman has challenged White to find consistency, and a January loan exit is surely on the cards.
