U18 beat Chelsea 5-3
Vuckic scored 2
United Kids' Five-Goal Special
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A GOAL behind at half-time, Newcastle United under-18s turned the tables on Chelsea at Benton with five goals in 27 second-half minutes.
Slovenian Haris Vuckic netted two sumptuously skilful goals and made two more while Sammy Ameobi added a brace of his own and Shane Ferguson notched the other.
Two late Chelsea strikes halved the four-goal advantage but nothing could detract from a hugely encouraging second-half performance by United's young guns in their final pre-season warm-up match.
With the wind at their backs in the first half, the Londoners led through a 27th-minute strike from Kadi Djalo, who burst through the middle to plant a 16-yard shot into the left corner.
Chelsea made several interval substitutions, including Anton Rodgers, son of Reading manager Brendan, while United brought on left-back Paul Dummett for Greg McDermott and pushed Irish international Shane Ferguson up into midfield in a fluid 4-4-2 formation instead of the earlier 4-3-3.
And the fun started in the 48th minute when 16-year-old Vuckic pursued a ball through the middle and with immense perception flicked the ball gently wide of the advancing goalkeeper with his left foot and was wheeling away in celebration long before the ball rolled into the left corner.
Thirteen minutes later Vuckic played in midfield partner Brad Inman and the Aussie nudged the ball beyond the onrushing Walker for Ameobi to apply the finishing touch.
Vuckic was back again four minutes later, latching onto an Ameobi flick and tempting Walker into a challenge before slipping the ball into the path of Shane Ferguson, who couldn't miss.
Three minutes more and the irrepressible Vuckic seized on a defensive error to leave Danny Mills floundering on the edge of the box before guiding another superbly subtle left-foot shot inches around the diving Walker and inside the left upright.
Chelsea were by now being thoroughly outplayed and on 73 minutes it was 5-1, Ameobi lashing in the rebound after Walker had tipped an Inman shot onto the bar.
Chelsea, though, had the last word with consolation goals after 75 and 81 minutes.
Substitute Phillip Prosenik turned sharply to score at the near post before Billy Knott blocked Paul Dummett's clearance and watched in delight as the ball fizzed luckily into the United net.
NEWCASTLE UNITED U-18s: Triallist, Airey, Ferguson, Taylor, Grieve, McLaughlin, Adjei (sub McCrudden 80), McDermott (sub Dummett 45), Ameobi (sub Spear 80), Vuckic (sub Ions 80), Inman. Unused subs: Page, Johnson.
CHELSEA U-19S: Walker, R Clifford (sub Saville 45), Strictland (sub Knott 45), Mills, Sapayo (sub Conteh 45), McCachran, Lalkovic (sub Hayden 45), C Clifford (sub Rodgers 45), Mitrovic, Djalo (sub Prosenik 45), Devyne.
