Newcastle United’s under-23 team crashed out of the Northumerland Cup following a defeat to North Shields on Thursday night.
Over 600 fans flocked to Daren Persson Stadium to witness a game that was crucial for the young players who were looking forward to impress manager Rafa Benitez. And one such player who stood out for the Magpies was Haris Vuckic.
The Slovenian midfielder not only equalized the game for Newcastle, but even scored a penalty in the shoot-out that followed after 120 minutes of 1-1 draw.
Newcastle’s equalizer came in the 49th minute after a series of short and quick passes along the edge of Shields’ box with Dan Barlaser’s low pass saw Vuckic turning and slyly poking the ball into the goal.
After the 1-1 stalemate continued till the end of additional time of 30 minutes, Newcastle lost the game to North Shields 10-9 on penalties.