The young Magpies conceded twice in the opening seven minutes at the Little Benton Academy, following Dominic Ballard’s brace, before Amadou Diallo’s penalty and strikes from Ben Parkinson and Charlie McArthur sent the hosts ahead before the half-time break.

United’s youngsters extended their lead further in the second-half following a seven-minute brace from substitute Jay Turner-Cooke and despite the dismissal of Newcastle captain Nathan Carlyon and Ballard’s stoppage-time strike to complete his hat-trick, Newcastle saw out the contest to record an emphatic three points.

Ben Dawson handed starts to the likes of Lewis Miley, who made his first senior start for the Magpies during a Premier League Summer Series clash against Chelsea in Atlanta last month, as well as Irish defender Alex Murphy, who kept a clean sheet on his maiden start for the club since joining from hometown club Galway United in July 2022.

Jamie Miley, Remi Savage, Ben Parkinson, Charlie Wiggett and Amadou Diallo, who all made their senior bows during Newcastle’s recent pre-season campaign, were also named in the starting XI.

Newcastle fell behind within the opening 120 seconds as goalkeeper Jude Smith saw his pass intercepted by Ryan Finnigan before Ballard was on hand to tuck the ball past the Scottish shot-stopper.

In the 7th minute, United were dealt a further blow as Ballard doubled his and the Saints’ advantage after racing onto Kamari Doyle’s pass before poking the ball beyond Smith.

The young Magpies halved the deficit on the half-hour mark through Diallo’s spot-kick. After McArthur was clattered inside the box by Southampton goalkeeper Adli Mohamed following Carlyon's floating free-kick, Diallo was on hand to emphatically slot the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

Parkinson drew Untied level three minutes later after the Durham-born striker, who signed his first professional contract with his boyhood club last month, latched onto Charlie Wiggett’s pass before placing a low effort into the bottom left-hand corner.

On the stroke of half-time, McArthur marked his Premier League 2 bow with his first goal at under-21 level. After Remi Savage’s overhead kick was blocked inside a crowded penalty area, the Scottish centre-back was quickly on hand to rifle the loose ball into the roof of the net.

In the second-half, Newcastle were fortunate to maintain their one-goal cushion after Doyle’s low trickling effort towards goal clipped the outside of the right-hand post before Smith, who joined the Magpies from East Fife in August 2022, produced a number of key saves to prevent Southampton from drawing level.

Turner-Cooke, who scored his first senior goal for Newcastle in a 3-2 pre-season win against Gateshead last month, was introduced from the substitutes’ bench and made an instant impact, arriving at the back post before volleying the ball into the net despite Mohamed’s efforts to push the ball away.

The South Shields-born teenager, who spent the second-half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Tranmere Rovers, netted Newcastle’s fifth of the afternoon after picking the ball on the edge of the box before unleashing a ferocious drive into the right-hand corner.

Carlyon was sent off in the closing stages of the clash, picking up a second yellow card after kicking the ball away following an adjudged foul, with referee Gareth Rhodes giving the central midfielder his marching orders.

Southampton pulled a goal back in the fifth minute of stoppage-time as Ballard completed his hat-trick, rounding Smith inside the box before slotting the ball home but it would prove a mere consolation as United prevailed in an eight-goal thriller.

Newcastle United Under-21s are back in Premier League 2 action next weekend when they travel to the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage, to face their Tottenham Hotspur counterparts on Saturday, 19th August (kick-off 1pm BST).

Newcastle United Under-21s: Jude Smith, Charlie Wiggett, Charlie McArthur (Ellis Stanton 72), Remi Savage, Alex Murphy, Nathan Carlyon (c), Jamie Miley (Jordan Hackett 84), Lewis Miley, Amadou Diallo, Lucas De Bolle (Jay Turner-Cooke 72), Ben Parkinson (James Huntley 72).

Subs not used: Will Brown.