Seventh heaven for Parkinson after Palace win | OneFootball

The in-form forward continued his bright goalscoring form in Friday's Premier League 2 victory against the South London outfit, netting his fourth goal in as many league matches at second-string level after turning the ball home from Matt Targett's free-kick.

The Durham-born youngster, who made his Premier League debut away at AFC Bournemouth in November 2023, admitted the squad were keen to leapfrog their Eagles counterparts prior to the league contest and believed his side ought to have won by a bigger margin.

The 19-year-old forward, who joined the Magpies' youth set-up as a seven-year-old, told newcastleunited.com: "Going into the game, we hadn't played in a while so we wanted to put on a performance and show what we're all about. They were above us in the table before tonight and that was made clear by Diarmuid (O'Carroll) and the staff. We wanted to get a win, which we did, and I thought the lads played really well.

"We played well in the attacking areas, created a lot of chances and their goalkeeper made a few brilliant saves. On another day, there were chances which would have ended up in the back of the net but we're happy to come away with the three points."

Newcastle's youngsters may only have two fixtures remaining in their 2024 calendar but Parkinson, who has scored seven times in his last 13 competitive outings at under-21 level, remains hopeful of reaching his goalscoring target but expressed his delight with his purple patch in front of goal.

"At the start of the season, I set out some goals and I wanted to get to ten before January," he added. "I don't know if I have many games left until then and will have get a few more in the next couple of games but I'm pleased with how consistent my performances have been, which is something I might have struggled with last season.

"It's good to get a run of games and continue scoring goals."

Newcastle's youngsters face an away clash against Boston United in the National League Cup on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.30pm GMT) and Parkinson, who signed his first professional contract with his boyhood club in the summer of 2023, is relishing the test against senior opposition.

"It's something everyone has been big on this season, playing against first-teams and getting a lot of experience," he said. "There's some younger lads in the squad and then some who may be looking to go out on loan and play mens' football.

"It's a really good mix for the group but those games are massive for the players' development, both younger and older, and finding their level to see where they can go to."