Alan Pardew is hopeful that rookie goalkeeper Jak Alnwick can respond to recent setbacks to be the hero in Newcastle United's derby against Sunderland.
The 21-year-old has been thrown into the Magpies first team following injuries to Tim Krul and Rob Elliot, and initially impressed by helping end Chelsea's unbeaten run.
However, he has since conceded eight goals in two games, and a couple of his errors contributed to Newcastle's 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.
Alnwick will overcome a shoulder injury to start Sunday's Tyne-Wear showdown at St James' Park, and Pardew is hopeful that his comforting chat with the youngster this week will inspire a "real performance".
He told reporters: "I have certainly had a chat with him and I would have done that if he hadn't made a mistake because I think it's important to talk to young players who are going into the first team.
"I think he was unlucky with his mistake because he got punished severely with it. You can get away with that sometimes - and I have played with much better goalies than Jak, without being disrespectful to him, who have got away with it. They have dropped it and someone has cleared it, or it was blocked on the line or something, so I explained that to him. I think he realised that.
"He was apologetic about the mistake, as you would imagine, but I said to him it's important not to be too apologetic, that's it's gone. We make mistakes in other areas and they are all forgotten; you make a mistake there and it isn't, so he grasped that.
"He's a local boy, he wants to make amends this Sunday in terms of a real performance, and all my squad and my staff, because we like him, will be wishing that happens."
Newcastle have been denied the opportunity to bring in a goalkeeper on an emergency loan, and therefore Alnwick will likely retain the number-one jersey until at least the January transfer window.
Joe Fish
