JAMES Milner last night claimed that the elixir of youth could be just the tonic Newcastle need to ensure a season of strife finishes on a positive note.

While the last month has been a period of purgatory for everyone at St James' Park, the re-emergence of the club's forgotten generation has provided a rare shaft of light.

Milner has been at the vanguard of the revival and, after spending most of the season kicking his heels on the sidelines, the versatile midfielder is finally displaying the kind of form that persuaded Sir Bobby Robson to commit £3.6m towards signing him from Leeds.

Darren Ambrose, another player Robson saw as "safeguarding the future of the club", has been similarly successful in recent weeks, with this week's opening goal at Fulham following hot on the heels of last month's dazzling display at Old Trafford.

With teenagers Charles N'Zogbia and Steven Taylor also contributing to Wednesday's win, Newcastle's youngsters are pulling together to paper over some of the cracks exposed by their better-known and better-paid colleagues.

Graeme Souness has already hinted they will find themselves back on the fringes of the first team at the start of next season but, after breaking into the Leeds United side days after turning 16, Milner is aware of just how valuable youthful enthusiasm can be.

"I think it helps that we've got such a mobile midfield at the moment," said Milner, who has featured in Newcastle's last nine outings. "There's a lot of energy out there and that's a big factor at this stage of the season.

"Both Darren and Charles like to get forward as much as they can, and I'm being pushed forward more than I was when I first joined the club.

"We're just trying to take our chance, because we know this is a real opportunity for us to impress.

"Darren's scored a few goals, and I think both myself and Charles have done well since we've come into the team.

"We're enjoying it. We all like playing and it's difficult when you're not out there on the pitch.

"We've had a lot of injuries. They've caused problems for the team but, on the other hand, they've also given some of us lads a bit of a chance.

"This is a big club and nobody can expect to play all the time. Our chances have come because of injuries, but we know we've got to take them. You don't know when your next chance might come around if you don't."

Milner's next chance will come at Everton on Saturday, as Newcastle look to record back-to-back Premiership away wins for the first time this season.

Souness will be able to call on Lee Bowyer following his seven-game suspension, but it would still be a major surprise if he was not to stand by his youngsters for the final two games of the campaign.

Everton have everything to play for - they lead Liverpool by three points in the race for a Champions League place - but the weight of expectation at Goodison Park could play into Newcastle's hands.

"We can give it a real go at Everton because they're the ones under the real pressure," said Milner. "It's a game they really need to win. We're just looking to get as many points as we can.

"People look at the results and think we've under-achieved. But I don't think there's been too much wrong with our recent performances. We've just missed out on the three points because we haven't taken our chances or we've had a bit of bad luck."

Nevertheless, those recent performances have turned a season that looked like finishing with a bang less than a month ago into the dampest of damp squibs.

Newcastle's players will not even set out on their annual lap of honour after the final game of the season - a sensible decision given that it pits them against a side who really do have something to be proud about in Chelsea - but Milner has dismissed suggestions that his team-mates have already written the next fortnight off as a bad job.

"We're not thinking about next season at all," he claimed. "You can't afford to because, if you do, you'll pay for it in the games you've still got left to play.

"We've played a lot of games recently. We've been Saturday then Wednesday for a lot of weeks now and, when you haven't been playing many games all year, that's a big ask if you're not completely focused.

"I've had to try to keep myself fit when I haven't been involved too much, and that has been difficult. But I've worked hard and I'm getting my reward now."

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