Source: Northern_Echo
Young Magpies eye last four spot
NEWCASTLE UNITED Academy director Joe Joyce expects this evening's FA Youth Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace to showcase one or two players who will go on to represent the club's senior side in the near future.[LNB] The Magpies' youth team play Palace at St James' Park hoping to book a place in a two-legged semi-final against Fulham or Aston Villa and move one step closer to emulating the Paul Gascoigne-inspired side that won the competition in 1985.[LNB] Newcastle's juniors have been in fine form this season, losing just one of their last 16 matches in all competitions.[LNB] Joyce is happy with his players' progress to this point, and is hoping a handful will move to the top of the ladder in the next two or three seasons.[LNB] Hopefully, this team will include one or two of the next generation of players at Newcastle United, said Consettborn Joyce, who has previously worked as the PFA's head of coaching.[LNB] We are playing very well at the moment. We have a great belief in them and, more importantly, they have a great belief in themselves.[LNB] With the run we're on, we have to make sure they're not becoming over-confident. But at the same time, we are the home side in this game and the onus will be on us to take the game to Crystal Palace. It will be a difficult challenge.[LNB] Newcastle have already beaten Doncaster, Reading and West Ham in this season's competition, with striker Phil Airey scoring crucial goals in the final two fixtures.[LNB] The 18-year-old, who hails from Amble in Northumberland, scored a brace in this month's reserves game against Leeds, and Joyce expects him to be a pivotal performer tonight in partnership with fellow forward Sami Ameobi.[LNB] Phil is a player in good form, he said. He's a threat.[LNB] He wants to score goals and he knows where the goal is.[LNB] But we have players right through the team who can score goals. We are not reliant on one player to put the ball in the back of the net.[LNB] Airey has scored 12 at youth and reserves level this season, and is hoping to earn a full-time professional contract in the summer.[LNB] He said: Chris Hughton has told me to keep battling away and if you do well you get your rewards at the end of the season. Getting a pro contract is the aim, and I know scoring goals will help that.[LNB] Kick-off tonight is 7pm and East Stand turnstiles will be open. Admission is £3 adults, £1.50 concessions.[LNB]
