Fifth placed Newcastle United Women hosted bottom placed side Portsmouth in front of 1,950 fans at a chilly Gateshead International Stadium on Sunday. With ten of their players unavailable due to injury.
Manager Tanya Oxtoby made just one change from last week’s win away to Southampton, handing Emilia Larsson a first start, while latest signing Simone Charley was named as one of the substitutes.
There was however some positive news during the week with Charlotte Wardlaw and Jas McQuade named in the Scotland Under-23s squad for next month’s friendly against the Netherlands. The game is set to take place in Inverness on Monday, 2nd March. While Freya Gregory was named in the senior side for their double-header against Luxembourg for a pair of World Cup qualifying games.
Match Report
In a difficult game that was low on clear cut chances, the Lady Mags restricted Portsmouth to just two shots on target in the entire game. Newcastle were first to threaten following a quick break up the pitch, as a low Emily Murphy cross was pushed clear by Jess Gray in the Pompey goal, with several Newcastle players waiting to pounce on a potential rebound.
The Lasses were controlling possession and pushing for a breakthrough, without ever really looking like scoring during the opening 40 minutes. However, it was the away side who should have taken the lead when Aoife Mannion was dispossessed far too easily by Angelina Nixon down the left before she sent in a low delivery that Lucy Shepherd could not make a clean connection with. It was a huge let off for Newcastle.
©The Mag
Pompey continued to cause problems with Jemima Dahou showcasing some sublime skill before finding Meg Hornby, who cut inside and forced a save from Anna Tamminen. Before Jazz Bull’s cross drifted towards goal, looped over Tamminen and landed on top of the bar.
But despite that United forged ahead just before half-time. Lois Joel who is normally a holding midfielder, won the ball in the Pompey half before exchanging passes with Jordan Nobbs and delivered an inch-perfect cross from the right, that Nobby Solano would have been proud of. The cross was fired home by Emily Murphy, who buried the chance on the volley without breaking stride for a spectacular finish.
The visitors tried to hit back, but when Hornby hit a deep free-kick towards Shepherd in the box, the unmarked forward could not get a touch on the ball.
It was more of the same in the second half with chances at a premium. Newcastle did create an early chance to double their lead when Gray came charging out of her box to deal with a long ball. But her clearance flew straight to Murphy, who with an empty goal in front of her, perhaps delayed too long before picking out Freya Gregory. United’s winger saw her goal bound effort blocked by a visiting defender and the chance was gone.
Portsmouth did begin to apply pressure again as the half progressed, although they were unable to make an impact in the final third.
Newcastle made some changes soon after with substitute Beth Lumsden having an instant impact. She went close when she flashed a dangerous delivery across the face of goal. Before Pompey’s Hannah Coan did brilliantly to dispossess Simone Charley, on for her United debut, inside the area after she raced onto an incisive Nobbs pass.
But the Lasses made the points safe, when Murphy laid the ball off for Lumsden down the left, for the flying winger to tuck the ball inside Gray’s near post.
It wasn’t pretty but a win is a win!
Newcastle United Women: Anna Tamminen, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield, Molly Pike (Jasmine McQuade 86), Freya Gregory (Simone Charley 73), Emilia Larsson (Beth Lumsden 58), Kaitlyn Torpey, Lois Joel, Aoife Mannion (c), Emily Murphy
Subs not used: Claudia Moan, Demi Stokes, Shania Hayles
Portsmouth: Jess Gray; Jazz Bull (Chloe Sheffield 89), Greta Humphries (Evie Milner 46), Hannah Coan, Izzy Collins; Jemima Dahou (Jesse Woolley 61), Charlie Estcourt; Meg Hornby, Georgie Freeland, Angelina Nixon (Emily Pitman 61); Lucy Shepherd
Subs not used: Comfort Erhabor, Jazmin Younger, Annie Wilding, Niamh Peacock, Ava Rowbotham.
Where that leaves NUFC
As a reminder, the top two teams in the Women’s Championship will be automatically promoted this season, with then third top potentially also going up, if winning a play-off against the team that finishes bottom of the Super League.
With 37 points from 15 (of 22) league games played, Charlton are all but promoted. Birmingham are second with 29 points from 14 matches.
Them Bristol City 26 points (played 16) and Newcastle United 26 points (played 15) are next, Crystal Palace 25 points (played 15) and Southampton 24 points (played 16).
Helped by their second clean sheet of the season, Tanya Oxtoby (pictured above) and her Newcastle United team are only behind Bristol City on goal difference and the two sides are set to meet at Ashton Gate next month.
Crystal Palace are a point back and they play Birmingham on Monday evening with a defeat for the Blues perhaps the best scenario for the Lasses right now, given they occupy the final automatic promotion berth in second.
What’s coming up
Newcastle don’t have a game for the next four weeks now, as a combination of the international break and the FA Cup taking centre stage.
They return to action away to Sheffield United on Saturday, 14th March before promotion rivals Birmingham City and Crystal Palace head North for what promises to be a busy week. The month closes with a big derby game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Newcastle have seven games remaining, four of which are at home.