Newcastle United coach Dave Watson admitted substitute Thomas Allan had made the difference for his side after he scored twice to help the Magpies beat Swansea City 3-1 in the FA Youth Cup fourth round.
A penalty from Lewis McNall put Newcastle ahead in the third minute as he sent Ross Treacy the wrong way following a foul on Owen Gallacher.
But the Swans fought back and earned a penalty of their own after Mace Goodridge brought down Liam Edwards but Magpies goalkeeper Nathan Harker saved a the spot kick from Keiran Evans.
Liam Cullen did eventually equalise from close range for the visitors after 52 minutes at St James’ Park before efforts from his teammates Causso Darame and Ben Cabango.
And it was Newcastle who retook the lead with 67 minutes played as Allan rose to highest to head home a Matty Longstaff free-kick to restore his side’s advantage.
With the Swans pushing desperately for an equaliser, Allan was able to reach a punched Treacy clearance in his own half, sprint clear and finish into an empty net.
And while Watson was impressed with the 17-year-old’s performance he believes there is more to come from his side, especially at the back.
“It’s a great win, performance-wise we can play a lot better than that,” said Newcastle United Under-18s coach Dave Watson.
“Swansea had too many chances for our liking. But after saying that we showed really good character to dig back in, kick back on and get the extra couple of goals.
“In the second half, we came out with more intent and had more pace up front. Obviously Tommy has come on and scored a couple of goals, he made the difference.
“It’s fantastic for him. To run the length of the pitch and score a goal like that tells you a lot about the lad. His attitude is fantastic. He is a great competitor, and he’s still very young.”
Newcastle United will face either fierce local rivals Sunderland or Shrewsbury in the Fifth Round.
