DAN Barlaser dedicated his FA Cup winner to his granddad after firing Accrington Stanley into the second round.

The Newcastle loanee scored the only goal of the game as the Reds saw off Colchester United 1-0 at the Whan Stadium on Saturday.

And it was a poignant moment for the 21-year-old who celebrated with a shirt in tribute to his granddad John and with his parents in the crowd.

"I'm very pleased because my grandad died about three days ago. I told the lads I was going to score for him so I scored for him today so it’s nice," said the midfielder.

“I scored in front of my mum and dad and it’s a great win.

“It’s fate really I just said I would score for him and I said it to my mum and dad. When I got the ball on the edge of the box, I just had a shot.

“We played golf together, he was a big critic of my football although I won’t get told off by him now but I'm sure my dad will say a bit.”

Barlaser's strike was the difference on Saturday against the U's but the midfielder felt John Coleman's side could have enjoyed a greater winning margin.

"After the first 20 minutes we ran the game and once we got the goal, I knew we were going to win, I just didn’t know by how many," he said,

“They had more chances in the first 15 minutes but once we got the ball down and played it simple, they couldn’t get near us.

“We had about four or five chances and that’s what the gaffer said after the game, a team is going to get a sloshing soon.

“If we had got the shooting boots on this game, it could have been four or five."

Barlaser made his Newcastle United debut in the FA Cup in a 3-1 win over Birmingham City in January 2017.

And, given his Geordie heritage, it is no surprise to see who the youngster fancies in round two.

“I wouldn’t mind Sunderland," he said. "But we will take on anyone at home. The style of football we play and how we press teams, we can take anyone on. We will have a right go!"