Newcastle United Women’s team turn on the style at St James’ Park in another step to the title

Newcastle United Women’s team faced their Burnley counterparts at St James’ Park on Sunday in this important second tier league match.

With Soffia Kelly’s two week emergency loan spell having ended with the Newcastle United Women’s team, she returned to parent club Aston Villa this week.

In her place came Anna Pederson from Charlton on a one week deal which suggests first choice goalie Anna Tamminen is close to a return.

Beth Lumsden and Martha Thomas have been nominated for October’s WSL 2 Player of the Month award. They face opposition from Ipswich’s Princess Ademiluyi, Elise Hughes of Sunderland, Leticia McKenna of Nottingham Forest and Watford’s Phoebie Poole.

The club have appointed Sarah Lowden as Academy Manager. She arrives from the FA where she spent the past seven years working in a variety of roles developing young players. Although Sarah is from the area she previously worked with academies at Reading and Burton Albion.

“I’m excited to play a key role in the development of the next generation of talented footballers, helping them fulfil their potential both on and off the pitch, while contributing to the continued growth and success of the women’s game at this incredible club.” She said on joining.

Before kick-off there was a minute’s silence for Remembrance Sunday. Female military officers laid a poppy wreath at the centre circle and were led out by Sophie Akrill, who along with serving her country plays football locally for Cullercoats and ice hockey for Whitley Bay Beacons.

Newcastle manager Tanya Oxtoby made just one change from last week, Hungarian central defender Hanna Németh coming in to start her first WSL 2 game, as they lined up in their usual 4-3-3 formation. Burnley went with five at the back and a midfield diamond in front of them, with just a loan striker up top.

All the fans were housed in the East Stand with both the Gallowgate and Leazes closed for this game with newly promoted Burnley.

Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag

Match Report

Sensing there were goals to be had, Newcastle went for the jugular from the off. They nearly took the lead very early on but Jordan Nobbs fired well over from 12 yards after meeting a cutback from the left. Then a cross from the left by Nobbs was deflected over to striker Kathleen McGovern, who couldn’t quite bundle the ball home from point-blank range.

But a minute later the Scottish striker made amends and fired the Lasses into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Some neat build up play saw the ball laid back to Lois Joel on the edge of the area, who curled a pass to the back post for McGovern to fire home. The former Hibernian forward seems to love playing against Burnley after she netted a hat-trick against them in a pre-season game at Gateshead earlier in the campaign.

Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag

Newcastle were relentless in their pursuit for goals and quickly doubled their lead soon after. Beth Lumsden again worked well down the right channel before creating some space close to the byline. As she tried to cut the ball back for a team mate, former Lasses defender Deanna Cooper appeared to slice at the ball and redirected it past goalie Kirstie Levell.

Ironically it was Cooper’s third goal for Newcastle at St James’ Park, after netting a last minute equaliser against Southampton two seasons ago, and then also finding the net against Sunderland.

The Lady Mags could have added to their lead and perhaps should have been four or five goals to the good before the break. Kaitlyn Torpey found Martha Thomas, whose first-time lay-off to Jordan Nobbs opened up space for a curled effort towards the bottom corner, but she was denied by a stunning save by Levell. Before Thomas headed well wide with another chance three minutes later.

Then as half-time approached, a loose ball in the box fell to midfielder Katie Bradley, who found space between the Burnley defenders but could only stab it around the outside of the foot of the post after Levell had punched McGovern’s cross clear. Newcastle looked certain to add a third on the stroke of half-time but Alethea Paul produced an excellent block to deny Nobbs.

Burnley failed to test Newcastle, and goalie Kayla Rendell could have literally put her feet up and read the newspaper throughout the game, she had so little to do.

However, in Alethea Paul and Emma Siddall they had two very willing runners at wing back and veteran former Manchester United striker Rachel Williams battling away with a physical presence up front.

They threatened for the first time in the 37th minute when Paul’s inswinging corner was met by Williams, but the forward could only direct her header over the bar.

Perhaps Burnley’s best chance came when Siddall advanced well down the right flank leaving the Newcastle defence flat footed. But despite getting in behind the home side’s back four, she was unable to get her strike on target. Her effort sailing over the crossbar.

Charlie Chadwick made a difference when she came on to play on the left of midfield, firing wide from 20 yards soon after arriving.

But Newcastle made it three with half an hour to go when Lumsden charged towards goal once again before finding league top scorer Martha Thomas who controlled well before finding the net at the Gallowgate end from six yards out.

A flurry of substitutions saw some of the rhythm go out the game with a whole new front three up top for the lasses. However, Freya Gregory did star in her 25 minute cameo as she had a couple of efforts that narrowly cleared the bar.

Tyler Toland deflected a couple of Newcastle shots, before Levell produced another fine stop to keep out a fierce angled drive from Gregory. Then Jessie Gale, also on and playing up top, squandered an opportunity to make it four, failing to connect with Gregory’s cross.

Burnley then suffered a further setback when Charley Docherty, who had been on the pitch for just 20 minutes, limped off with an apparent hamstring injury. The Clarets, who only had five outfield players named on their bench, had to play on with ten players after they had already used up all their allocated substitutions.

Nobbs, who started Newcastle off on the right track, had the final say when she forced a comfortable save from Levell in the closing stages. While Cooper produced a crucial block to deny McLaughlan from close range as Newcastle saw out the victory.

Photo by The Mag

Newcastle United: Kayla Rendell, Rachel McLauchlan (c), Hanna Németh, Gemma Evans, Kaitlyn Torpey, Katie Bradley (Mollie Lambert 63), Lois Joel, Jordan, Nobbs, Beth Lumsden (Oona Sevenius 69), Martha Thomas (Jessie Gale 69), Kathleen McGovern (Beth Lumsden Freya Gregory 63).

Subs not used: Anna Pedersen, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jemma Purfield, Hildur Antonsdóttir, Aoife Mannion.

Burnley: Kirstie Levell, Emma Siddall, Jessica Hennessy, Deanna Cooper, Naomi Hartley (Charley Docherty 65), Alethea Paul, Brenna McPartlan, Tyler Toland, Jamie Finn (Charlie Chadwick 55), Christie Harrison-Murray, Rachel Williams (Brooke Cairns 80).

Subs not used: Jackie Burns, Kiera Sena, Maddi Wilde.

Where that leaves Newcastle United Women’s team

Newcastle remain unbeaten in WSL2 and have a three point cushion over second placed Sunderland after the Lady Black Cats won the River Wear derby in Durham. Elsewhere, Ipswich finally lost their unbeaten start to the season after they slipped up to an in-form Bristol City.

There are 15 league games remaining with only top spot good enough for automatic promotion to the top flight this season.

Teams that finish second and third will play off for the right to face the team that finishes second bottom of WSL1 and a chance at promotion, although that represents a much tougher route.

Women's Super League WSL2 Table 2026/27 - 9 November 2026

What’s coming up

Newcastle travel to the Stadium of Light for next Sunday’s top of the table clash with Sunderland. The Lasses have already faced their local rivals once this season and lost 1-0 at Gateshead in the League Cup so they will be looking to put things right this time in the league encounter.

United are next at home the following Sunday when they host Nottingham Forest in a League Cup group game at Gateshead International Stadium.