United looked home and hosed after establishing a three-goal lead by the hour-mark, but found themselves hanging on as the Potters – bottom of the table heading into the clash – struck twice in quick succession.

In contrast to what was to follow, the opening 20 minutes passed by without incident, with neither side able to create a chance of note.

But, just before the half-hour mark, United broke the deadlock. Having notched the Magpies’ first against Aston Villa on Monday, defender Curtis Good repeated the trick at Clayton Wood, rising high to glance home Callum Roberts’ corner from the right.

Roberts again had a part to play in the visitors’ second. The winger split the Stoke backline in two with a superb threaded pass, and Luke Charman raced clear before tucking the ball beyond goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

Tyrese Campbell perhaps ought to have halved the deficit before the break, slicing wide from 12 yards after being picked out by Eddy Lecygne.

Lecygne himself then curled high of the target from the edge of the area as the Potters ended the first-half brightly.

After the interval, however, it was United who made all of the early running.

And, following a period of pressure, they were awarded a penalty with 52 minutes on the clock, Roberts having drawn a foul from Stoke full-back Thomas Edwards after a jinking run.

Roberts himself stepped up to take the spot-kick, and duly sent Bachmann the wrong way.

In response, the home side shuffled their pack on the hour-mark, with Jake Dunwoody and Jordan Greenidge both entering the fray.

The latter almost pulled one back instantly, seeing a first-time effort from six yards somehow kept out by Freddie Woodman.

Seconds later, however, Woodman was picking the ball out of his net, as winger Daniel Jarvis found the far corner with a stylish finish.

The Potters began to press further, and – with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining – they set up a grandstand finale, as Dunwoody converted Cameron McJannet’s low cross at full-stretch.

United substitute Liam Smith almost settled the encounter once and for all, but saw a powerful strike come back off the crossbar following a swift counter-attacking move.

Jarvis then nodded wide in the dying embers, but Peter Beardsley’s side hung on to round off an encouraging week.

Stoke City Under-23s: Daniel Bachmann, Thomas Edwards, Cameron McJannet, Liam Edwards, Ryan Sweeney, Eddy Lecygne, Ibrahim Afellay (Jake Dunwoody 61), Hakim Abdallah (Jordan Greenidge 61), Daniel Jarvis, Tyrese Campbell (Andrew Cherdieu 85), Oliver Shenton.

Newcastle United Under-23s: Freddie Woodman, Callum Williams, Liam Gibson, Curtis Good, Stuart Findlay, Jack Hunter, Dan Barlaser, Callum Roberts, Luke Charman, Yasin Ben El-Mhanni (Jamie Holmes 72), Tom Heardman (Liam Smith 46).

Referee: Steve Copeland

Bookings: Stoke City Under-23s – none; Newcastle United Under-23s – none.

Pic: Phil Greig, Stoke City FC