Teenage striker stars as Young Magpies begin campaign with emphatic win
Newcastle U21s made an excellent opening to their Premier League Cup campaign on Friday night with an impressive 4-1 victory over Luton Town at Whitley Park. A well-structured performance from the Young Magpies ensured that they got off to a blistering start to their campaign against the Hatters.
The Young Magpies took the lead in the first half when a dangerous cross from Johnny Emerson was turned into their own net by Luton defender Dempsey Crace. Henry Johnson headed in his second goal of the game soon after the restart from a free kick.
Johnson was a consistent performer, adding an assist from right-back to his goal, just months after appearing at centre-back in pre-season.
Cá takes over
The closing stages belonged to Afner Cá. The striker put the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute, cutting in from the right before drilling a powerful effort into the roof of the net.(2) Five minutes later he claimed his second, reacting quickest after Sam Alabi’s effort came back off the post to tap in from close range.
Luton clawed back a late consolation through Jack Lorentzen-Jones, but Newcastle saw out the win to take all three points.
A striker to watch
Cá is already creating plenty of excitement among supporters. The 19-year-old joined the academy after his contract with Spanish side Levante expired and has been making an impression at this level ever since.
Standing around 6 ft 4 in, he has the height to unsettle defenders but also has pace and a good left foot, plus he carries the ball well and has a good eye for goal. He has scored twice in his first five games for the club, with his league double in Friday’s 3-0 win at Luton following a recent strike in the EFL Trophy.
The two goals against the Hatters highlighted contrasting aspects of his game, with the first showing off his powerful left foot and the second his sharp instincts as a centre-forward.
What next for the Guinea-Bissau forward?
There’s plenty of development still to come, but the early signs are certainly promising. Still finding his feet in English football, Cá will relish the opportunity to get regular minutes at the Premier League Cup, which should help him to develop his game, increase his fitness and prove his goals are no flash in the pan.
For Robbie Stockdale, a striker in this sort of form is a tremendous asset. Cá represents a physical focal point who can also cut inside and create danger, offering the Young Magpies an altogether different threat on the break. Should he continue in this vein, he could become a key figure for the Under-21s this season, with one fan keeping a particular eye on him.
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