Newcastle United Women’s team continued in League Cup action on Wednesday with a trip to WSL 1 side Everton.
A chance to visit Goodison Park was a first for some supporters.
Everton’s women’s side moving in as the men vacated last year.
A storm prior to kick off didn’t make conditions easy and a bitterly cold and damp night on Merseyside made it uncomfortable for many.
The travelling Toon Army were housed in the bottom right corner of the main Goodison Road stand close to the Park End goal. Most home supporters were in the lower tier too, however there were a smattering of Blues fans with flags in the Gwladys Street End.
The Bullens Road stand, traditionally where Newcastle’s men’s fans were housed during the past few decades, was left empty with banners covering the seats.
Tanya Oxtoby made ten changes from last weekend’s derby defeat against Sunderland.
Included in the line-up were local youngster Abbie Richardson, who recently signed a new professional contract,as well as Lia Cataldo as she made her first start in almost a year as she works her way back to full fitness.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
Match Report
Newcastle were happy to sit behind the ball and defend deep throughout much of the first half, limiting Everton to any real clear goal scoring opportunities, with most chances fired over from distance.
Hanna Nemeth looked a composed presence at the back following her summer move from Werder Bremen in the Frauen Bundesliga as she cleared everything that entered the box.
The home side did have the ball in United’s net on 15 minutes. However, Noéme Mouchon was flagged for offside after tapping home from a Hannah Silcock rebound from one yard out.
Former Leicester winger Hannah Cain was proving the biggest threat as she dominated down the left flank. She saw one effort whistle past the far post after being picked out by Silcock’s lofted, long ball. Before going closer than anyone, Mouchon first held the ball up in the box before slipping a short pass to her, but her side-footed effort struck the foot of the post.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
French forward Ornella Vignola tried her luck on the half turn 20 yards out but saw her shot beaten out by Anna Tamminen’s dive in the Newcastle game.
Newcastle started the second half well and Richardson very nearly capped a fine debut when Emilia Larsson picked her out on the edge of the box. However, her effort lacked power and Rylee Foster-Inman in the Everton goal easily dealt with it.
The game opened up more after that and Larsson had a chance of her own when she shot over the bar from Lois Joel’s half cleared corner.
Charlotte Wardlaw then went close after getting up the field along the touchline, drafting past Maz Pacheco before testing Foster-Inman and forcing her into covering up.
While Newcastle began to look effective on the counter-attack, the Toffees were still creating the more clear-cut chances. Cain was again at the forefront of Everton attacks, and her whipped cross found Aurora Galli on the edge of the box, but her effort blazed over the crossbar on the hour mark.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
With Tamminen still battling back to full fitness she was replaced at half time by Kayla Rendell, but she was mostly a spectator until the final ten minutes. Her first action of note came when Hannah Cain forced her into an athletic save from an attempted lob.
But soon after Everton got their break though. Newcastle backed off and allowed Vignola too much time on the ball to advance before unleashing a quality strike into the top corner from outside the area.
Vignola soon got a second when she tapped home into the bottom corner from close range following Clare Wheeler’s cut back.
She could have completed her hat trick when she unselfishly squared the ball to Yuka Momiki. But the Japanese winger hesitated and that allowed the United defence to get back in numbers and clear the danger.
Newcastle had a chance of pulling a goal back towards the end. Oona Sevenius did well to force a turnover before finding substitute Mollie Lambert who fired over the bar.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
Newcastle United Women’s team: Anna Tamminen (c) (Kayla Rendell 46), Charlotte Wardlaw, Hanna Németh, Gemma Evans, Lia Cataldo (Jemma Purfield 85), Lois Joel, Abbia Richardson (Ashanti Akpan 71), Oona Sevenius, Leanne Kiernan (Mollie Lambert 71), Kathleen McGovern (Jessie Gale 60), Emilia Larsson.
Subs not used: Demi Stokes, Katie Bradley, Casi Gregson
Everton: Rylee Foster-Inman, Hitaru Kitagawa, Megan Finnigan, Hannah Silcock, Rion Ishikawa (Clare Wheeler 72), Honoka Hayashi (Rosa Van Gool 86), Aurora Galli, Jutta Rantala (Maz Pacheco 72), Ornella Vignola, Noemie Mouchon (Yuka Momiki 61), Hannah Cain.
Subs not Used: Courtney Brosnan, Hannah Blundell, Naomi Layzell, Holly McNamara, Ruby Mace
Where that leaves Newcastle United Women’s team
Three defeats from their first three League Cup games means it’s unlikely Newcastle will progress from the group stage.
They still have three games to go with all three scheduled to take place on Tyneside. Nottingham Forest visit Gateshead International Stadium with Manchester United heading to St James’ Park for a midweek game under the lights.
The sole remaining away game is to face Durham at Mariner’s Park in South Shields.
What’s coming up
Newcastle United Women’s team are back in WSL2 action on Sunday, when they travel down to the City Ground to play unbeaten side Nottingham Forest in what promises to be another tough game.
They then have the aforementioned cup game in South Shields next Sunday followed by a league game on Sunday, 8th November with Burnley at St James’ Park.