Roberts Ready For Brighton Test

By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Callum Roberts' goal rescued a point for Newcastle United Under-23s last week - and now the teenager is hoping he can help the Magpies earn a first win in four at Brighton on Monday.

United make the long journey south to take on the Seagulls at Crawley Town's Checkatrade.com Stadium (7pm kick-off).

Peter Beardsley's side drew 1-1 with Stoke City in their last outing a week ago, with winger Roberts coming off the bench to level the scores with six minutes left at Whitley Park.

And the 19-year-old says that earning that draw after suffering back-to-back defeats has boosted the Magpies going into Monday's clash.

"It gave us confidence, really. We started well in the first game of the season, but then going to West Ham and getting beat and going to Villa and getting beat, we didn't have a lot of confidence," he told nufc.co.uk.

"But getting a point and seeing how well we'd played in the second half has helped us, and we want to take that into Brighton.

"We need to look at what we did well, and do that again on Monday. We work hard in training all week doing the things we're going to do in the game, and then we'll try and put it into practice."

On his own display in United's dominant second-half showing against the Potters, Roberts added: "I thought I did well when I came on. Obviously it was good to get a point for the team, but to be honest I should have scored more than I did, and I think the team knew that we should have scored a lot more, and we should have played like we did in the second half, in the first half.

"Obviously I was disappointed that I hadn't started the game, but you've just got to take it like a professional. If you come on, you've got to make an impact, and I thought I did that well.

"I was just watching the game to see how it went by, and seeing the players that I would be playing against if I did come on, and seeing their weaknesses.

"I was making the runs at the full back who didn't really know how to stop it, and I've just got to keep working hard through the week and working hard in the games to get myself back in the team."

Roberts was on the scoresheet the last time Beardsley's youngsters faced Brighton away from home, bagging the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Crawley's ground towards the back end of last season.

And the teenager reckons his side are now better equipped to bring all three points back to Tyneside this time around, as they get set for another lengthy away trip - their fourth in five games.

"We got a 1-1 draw last season with quite a young team out, so I think with the team we've got this season we could probably go there and get the win," said Roberts.

"It was a pretty similar game (to last week's draw against Stoke), to be honest. We had a lot of chances, and we should have taken three points there as well, but we obviously got the one point.

"We seem to love traveling at the minute, especially with the (Premier League Cup) draw, getting Swansea, Southampton and Bristol City.

"Obviously travelling all the way round the country's not the easiest start, when we're trying to get the results as well, but we just need to stick together really and try and get three points everywhere we go and not just aim for a point."