Newcastle's 25th and penultimate PL2 game of the season saw them concede four goals taking that total to 55 - the highest across the two PL2 leagues, a total of 28 teams.

They have managed just five clean sheets from those 25 games: Birmingham City (a) and (h), Burnley (h), mackems (h), Aston Villa (h).

Conversely though, United have now scored 49 goals, a figure exceeded by just seven of those other 27 PL2 sides.
 

United's slim hopes of sneaking into the PL2 Division Two promotion playoffs were ended on Monday night by their fourth consecutive defeat.

Elliot Dickman's side have leaked goals at an alarming rate this season and that trend continued at St. James' Park - with Southampton's teenage prospect Tyler Dibling leading them a merry dance.

The England U16 international helped himself to a first-half treble, opening the scoring after just six minutes when he was allowed to carry the ball to the edge of the box and beat Mark Gillespie with a routine low shot.

After United's Tom Allan had seen his effort blocked, Dibling ended a Saints counter-attack with a second goal on 33rd minutes that closely resembled his first.

And Dibling was unbelievably afforded the space and time to repeat the feat for the third time five minutes before the break and complete his hat-trick. 

Southampton then made it 0-4 in the 65th minute when Jimmy-Jay Morgan - another 16 year-old - casually lobbed Gillespie with the home defence once again going AWOL - the 20th goal conceded in their last five games.

A 72nd minute flare-up saw Newcastle's Ellis Stanton booked before Southampton's Ramello Mitchell received a straight red card after aiming a punch at a home player in the aftermath of the original incident.

Enjoying numerical superiority, United finally managed to get a foothold in the game on 79 minutes when substitute Dylan Stephenson eluded the goalkeeper and fired into the unguarded Gallowgate End net.

1-4 then became 2-4 on 83 minutes when Isaac Westendorf headed in Jay Turner-Cooke's right wing cross from close range, but despite dominating possession, United were unable to reduce the deficit further.

Elliot Dickman's side will conclude their PL2 season at Aston Villa next Monday, with neither side now able to reach the playoffs. 

Biffa