Miley targeting Tyne-Wear derby treat

Elliott Dickman's side head into the Premier League 2 encounter, taking place on Halloween, aiming to extend their unbeaten run in Division Two to six matches after coming from behind to claim a 3-2 home win against their Southampton counterparts last week.

Miley, who signed his first professional contract with his boyhood club last summer, revealed the squad are relishing the fixture against the Black Cats' second-string as United's youngsters target a fifth victory in their last six league matches.

The 18-year-old, who primarily plays in the middle of the park, told nufc.co.uk: "Everyone's buzzing for the game against Sunderland. When the fixtures are released at the start of the season, those are the matches you look out for. For it to be at at St. James' Park, too, will be really special. 

"You always want to win the derby, especially at St. James'. You imagine having the best game against Sunderland, winning the match, and hopefully there'll be a good crowd there. It's always good to play in front of a crowd as it gives you that experience and making sure you make the fans, who come along to support, proud. 

"Newcastle against Sunderland has always been a big fixture at all levels and the public usually look out for that game and check the score so we want to make sure we do well.

"You never want to get beat in a derby so we'll be very determined to come out on top. Everyone is really looking forward to it." 

Miley, who joined the Magpies' youth set-up in 2014, played the full 90 minutes of United's win against the Saints' second-string as goals from Dylan Stephenson, Isaac Westendorf and Joe White secured maximum points at Whitley Park.

Aiming to move into the Division Two play-off spots with a victory against Sunderland, Miley is hopeful his side can head into January with their unbeaten league run firmly in tact ahead of their penultimate Premier League 2 fixture of 2022 on Monday night.

The Stanley-born teenager added: "It wasn't the best of games against Southampton but we all stuck together and dug deep to come from behind to win. 

"We want to end the year with a bang and make sure we can keep the unbeaten streak going. We'll be focussing on trying to do that game by game. The game against Sunderland on Monday is a bit bigger but we can't get too caught up on the occasion and need to prepare as normal." 

Admission for Monday night's Tyne-Wear derby at St. James' Park is free for season ticket holders, otherwise it's £3 for adults and £1 concessions.