Yildiz, Sanusi, Wooster and Brayson with the goals as young Newcastle United stars win 5-0 | OneFootball

The young Newcastle United stars ran out 5-0 winners on Sunday afternoon.

A very good run out for the second string as they prepare for the new season.

Quite a few of the usual NUFC Under 21s are in the Far East, with the senior side drawing 1-1 with Tottenham on Sunday.

It was a shorter trip to South Shields for the Newcastle United youngsters.

With Wooster(2), Brayson, Sanusi and Yildiz getting the goals.

Official club report on South Shields 0 Newcastle United Under 21s 5 – Sunday 3 August 2025:

Kacey Wooster netted twice on his Newcastle United Under-21s debut during a 5-0 away win against South Shields on Sunday afternoon.

The young Magpies opened the scoring in quick fashion at the 1st Cloud Arena as teenage striker Joe Brayson, who signed his first professional contract with United this summer, fired the ball home from Trevan Sanusi’s low cross.

Kacey Wooster, making his debut at under-21 level after his introduction from the substitutes’ bench, doubled United’s advantage shortly after the restart before the visitors netted three times in the closing stages courtesy of Baran Yildiz’s strike, the Turkish midfielder also making his second-string bow, and efforts from Wooster and Trevan Sanusi.

The likes of Garang Kuol, who represented Australia at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, as well as Sanusi and Leo Shahar – both England Under-18 internationals – were all handed starts against the National League North outfit, who finished in 17th place of the English sixth tier last season.

In front of 1,143 spectators, Newcastle’s youngsters opened the scoring in the fourth minute through Brayson. After Sanusi beat the offside trap following Shahar’s forward pass, the teenage winger fired a teasing low cross into the penalty area, with Brayson on hand to tuck a first-time effort into the top right-hand corner.

Kuol, who recorded five goals and four assists in ten Premier League 2 matches last term, went close to doubling the visitors’ lead as the Cairo-born youngster, who joined the Magpies from Central Coast Mariners in January 2023, collected Dylan Charlton’s pass before driving the ball over the crossbar.

Newcastle were unfortunate not to extend their advantage shortly after as South Shields defender Brayden Reid turned the ball, from Charlton’s inviting low cross, onto the foot of the left-hand post by South Shields defender Brayden Reid.

The young Magpies continued to threaten the Mariners as Kuol placed an effort wide of the target before Brayson was unable to double his and United’s tally after turning the ball narrowly past the right-hand post following Sanusi’s inviting low cross into the box.

United made two changes at the break, with Kyle Fitzgerald and Wooster introduced and the pair were both involved as Newcastle extended their lead in the 52nd minute through the latter’s close-range finish.

After Fitzgerald latched onto Shahar’s teasing pass in-behind the Shields defence, the Irish winger cut the ball into Wooster’s path before the 17-year-old striker, who joined the Magpies in the summer of 2023 from Southend United, calmly stroked the ball into the net.

In the 76th minute, Yildiz netted on his under-21s debut as the Turkish midfielder, who joined the Magpies’ Academy from Genclerbirligi in January 2025, dispossessed Shields goalkeeper Henrick Regitnig on the edge of his bown box before placing the ball into an empty net.

Then, in the 81st minute, Wooster grabbed his second goal of the afternoon. After Yildiz managed to win possession on the edge of Shields’ own penalty area, the ball landed into Wooster’s path before the youngster cooly placed the ball beyond Regitnig inside the box.

Newcastle added gloss to the scoreline in the 87th minute as Sanusi got his name on the scoresheet. After the Birmingham-born winger, who made his professional debut for the Magpies in January’s Emirates FA Cup third round tie against Bromley, saw his initial shot at goal spilled by Regitnig, the highly-rated 18-year-old was alert to tuck the rebound into an empty net.

Newcastle United Under-21s: Aidan Harris, Leo Shahar, Trialist (Logan Watts 76), Cathal Heffernan (Ciaran Thompson 59), Charlie McArthur, Dylan Charlton (Thomas Bryant 59), Fraser Harper (Baran Yildiz 59), Scott Bailey, Trevan Sanusi, Garang Kuol (Kyle Fitzgerald 46), Joe Brayson (Kacey Wooster 46).