IF David Moyes wanted to see a more positive outcome in the FA Youth Cup then he was left disappointed after another Sunderland defeat – this time a seven-goal thriller - at Eppleton Colliery Welfare.

The Black Cats’ head coach was sat alongside chief executive Martin Bain and assistant Paul Bracewell as the Under-18s suffered a 4-3 defeat to neighbours Newcastle United – even if he had disappeared before Sunderland made a fight of it.

There might not be a Premier League meeting at the highest level between the two clubs this season, but there was still a decent crowd under the floodlights to witness the Magpies book a quarter-final place.

Sunderland made a fight of it after the restart, having hit half-time two goals down courtesy of goals from Lewis McNall and Owen Bailey. Joshua Maja, who has been on the fringes of the Moyes’ first team, pulled one back with a tidy finish shortly after half-time.

Newcastle restored the two-goal advantage through Adam Wilson only for Maja to convert a penalty and Elliot Embleton levelled things up with 12 minutes remaining. Newcastle, though, still had enough to edge through when McNall hit the late winner.

There were further chances for Sunderland to level but Newcastle did enough to squeeze through and inflict a third FA Youth Cup defeat in four seasons on their Tyne & Wear rivals. Sunderland’s youngsters, managed by Elliot Dickman who is stepping up to the Under-23s following Andy Welsh’s departure to Wigan, had been looking for a lift of their own because they lie bottom of Group North of the Premier League Under-18s.

Newcastle are performing slightly better in eighth and, after an early Maja effort that flashed wide, it was the visitors who looked more dangerous and went two goals up inside 18 minutes.

The first arrived in the 13th when Sunderland full-back Oscar Krusnell hauled down McNall in the penalty area. The same Newcastle forward picked himself up and powered a finish down the centre of goal and beyond goalkeeper Michael Woud.

Five minutes later Bailey added the second when his movement in the box saw him work himself free of his marker to lift the impressive Matthew Longstaff’s free-kick beyond Woud.

After Callum Smith had gone close to a third, Sunderland did create more towards the end of the first half but Chris Allan and Embleton were unable to find the net; with the latter denied by goalkeeper Ben Kitchen. Sunderland were quick out of the blocks in the second half and Asoro and Maja went close before the latter drilled a low finish beyond Kitchen after a clever dummy from Lee Connolly.

Newcastle reclaimed a two goal cushion with 22 minutes remaining when Wilson cut inside from the right and powered a low finish inside Woud’s bottom left corner.

But Sunderland were not finished, even if Moyes had gone early. Maja converted his penalty with quarter of an hour left when Bailey brought him down in the area.

And then Embleton, inventive on the ball throughout, turned in the area before drilling a low drive inside the keeper’s right hand corner a few minutes later.

The excitement increased for the fans when McNall glanced a free header wide before Asoro forced a flying save out of Kitchen. Wilson then showed his quality again by beating his man and shaving the bar from distance.

Newcastle found an extra gear with two minutes remaining to win it when McNall found space in the box before clinically beating the keeper low and to his right.

Sunderland: Would; Gamble, Krusnell, Allan, Taylor, Storey, Asoro, Embleton, Connolly, Maja, Hackett. Subs: Young, Patterson, Best, McAughtrie, Diamond.

Newcastle: Harker; Kitchen, Aplin, Longstaff, Bailey, Gibson, Wilson, Watts, McNall, Allan, Smith. Subs: Huuhtanen, Spooner, Apu-Peprah, Goodridge, Lowther