Newcastle's U23 side continued their positive start to the season on Friday night, with a second victory and clean sheet in five days.

And for Magpies centre forward Dylan Stephenson there were another two goals to accompany Monday's brace against Birmingham and one against Reading in United's season-opener last week.

It took Stephenson barely two minutes to get off the mark against the Clarets at Whitley Park, seizing on a defensive error and keeping his cool to steer the ball into an unguarded net.

The hosts dominated the rest of the half without adding to their tally; Tom Allan - playing at right wing back - then testing goalkeeper Lewis Thomas five minutes after the restart.

Burnley striker Michael Mellon then saw his 53rd minute header from a left wing cross shave an upright as the visitors came more into the game.

Stephenson however eased any fears of the hosts being pegged back with his and United's second just after the hour - chasing down an apparent lost cause and being rewarded by another defensive lapse that left him to slip the ball under the 'keeper.

For the second successive U23 game, the opposition ended up a man short - substitute Joe McGlynn dismissed by referee Andrew Miller following a flare-up which also saw Charlie Wiggett booked.
 
The victory means that United have made their best start to a reserve team season in seven years. The visitors meanwhile remain pointless after three outings.

Stephenson's five goals from three games give him an excellent chance of exceeding last season's U23 top scorer Stan Flaherty, who managed seven in the entire league campaign.

The 18 year-old is the first Magpie to score in the club's opening three reserve league games since Adam Armstrong in 2013. Whatever happened to him?

Biffa