Conor Newton is happy that he made the decision to head to Paisley on loan to St Mirren now that that he has a Scottish League Cup winner's medal. This sort of glittering prize could be enough to convince him to make his loan a permanent arrangement. The Newcastle youngster joined fellow Magpies recruit Paul Dummett as part of a link-up between the two clubs. However, both players are out of contract in the summer and Newton - who scored the Buddies' third goal in the 3-2 win over Hearts on Sunday - insists the buzz the win has generated would see him happily remain with Danny Lennon's side if he is released by Geordies manager Alan Pardew.Newton said: "It's been a whirlwind experience. I've been out in Paisley celebrating for the past two days and you can't take two steps without someone coming up and hugging you. It's been unbelievable. If you would have told me I'd have been part of something like this two months ago, I'd have laughed at you. It's been mental, absolutely mental. The memories of Sunday will stay with me forever, especially my goal. When it hit the net, I ran to celebrate but before I knew it, I'd been hit by Lee Mair, who had been warming up as a sub. He absolutely flattened me. I hit the deck and then everyone was on top of me. It was brilliant. I got a call from John Carver, the assistant down at Newcastle, congratulating me and it's nice to know that people are watching down there. But I don't know what will happen in the summer. If I have to move on, well that's life. I'm not naive enough to think I'm going to get flung straight into first-team football with Newcastle. If the option came up to stay with St Mirren, it would definitely be worth thinking about. I've loved my time here so far. St Mirren has got a wee place in my heart now. I don't know if it's the fans and how brilliant they were on Sunday or because it's the place where I got my first taste of first-team football, but this place means a lot to me now and I can see myself staying here."Dummett moved to St Mirren last August, while Newton did not make his move until the January transfer window. Things did not go well on his debut start as he was hooked at half-time in Saints' 4-1 home loss to Ross County. However, a week is a long time in football and he was back in the side to set up fellow new signing Esmael Goncalves to score the opener in the 3-2 semi-final win over Celtic. Now Newton insists he has benefited from the experience of his move north. He said: "Playing up here has matured me. I was playing reserve football with Newcastle but up here, it's men against men. Guys are playing for their careers. If you lose a few games too many, the gaffer could get sacked. It's totally different from reserve football. There is so much more riding on it. So that has matured me as a person and a footballer too. I've settled in quickly and having Paul up here has helped. I was taken off against Ross County but the gaffer told me it was just for tactical reasons. I'm my own biggest critic and I was surprised to get back in the side for the Celtic game but it was brilliant and I definitely believe I'm a better player for my move to St Mirren."
Source: ScottishFitba
Source: FOOTYMAD
