Newcastle United Women headed into their latest derby game with Sunderland knowing anything less than a win would just about rule out automatic promotion.
However, they entered a fixture they had won on the previous three occasions and therefore were confident of making it four.
Middlesbrough-born midfielder Emma Kelly who has featured in the previous clashes said ahead of this latest derby: “It’s just another week and just another game, and Tanya (Oxtoby) has been really good at reiterating that we don’t let emotions override how we feel going into the game. We need to put the work in out on the pitch, keep doing what we’ve been doing lately and approach it like any other fixture.”
Meanwhile, the latest international break is around the corner with several Newcastle players receiving call ups.
Shania Hayles was named in the Jamaica squad ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guyana. While, Aoife Mannion and Emily Murphy are both part of the Republic of Ireland squad that will face Poland twice in their back-to-back World Cup qualifiers later this month.
Jas McQuade and Charlotte Wardlaw have been named in the Scotland Women Under-23s squad for a double-header in Spain. They will face France in Murcia before facing either USA or Denmark four days later. And Freya Gregory is part of the Scotland senior squad who will face Belgium in a pair of World Cup qualifiers.
There was just one change to Tanya Oxtoby’s starting line up with the surprise inclusion of Shania Hayles ahead of last season’s Stadium of Light ‘Mackem Slayer’ Beth Lumsden.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
Match Report
Newcastle United Women started brightly in the early exchanges against the backdrop of a vociferous home atmosphere and a crowd of 10,156, 1,500 of which had travelled from Tyneside. Jemma Purfield almost grabbed the lead four minutes in when her near post header narrowly cleared the bar from a Freya Gregory cross.
However, Sunderland were looking a threat especially with the ease in which they were able to get in behind United’s defence. The warning signs were there ahead of the home side’s goal on 17 Minutes, but the ease in which Katy Watson was able to play between the lines and gamble on Marissa Sheva’s pinpoint delivery was concerning.
Following the goal the game became a typical scrappy derby affair with neither goalie being particularly tested, not helped by gale force winds that at one stage very nearly sucked the ceiling off the inner corridors of the stands.
The closest Newcastle came to a first half equaliser was a deep corner from Molly Pike who picked out Emily Murphy at the back post. But the forward’s header across goal was cleared.
The game was crying out for Newcastle to make a tactical change. Kaitlyn Torpey, fresh from her Asia Cup exploits in Australia came on at half time for the reliable Charlotte Wardlaw to add some penetrative forward runs down the right. But it wasn’t until the introduction of Lumsden and Finnish international Oona Sevenius in place of Hayles and Purfield 20 minutes later that the Lasses improved. Switching from a 3-5-2 formation to that of a 4-3-3 with Gregory dropping to full back, saw much more balance to the side.
Photo by Adam Mackman via The Mag
Soon after Murphy had the ball in the net following a scramble in the area for what seemed a perfectly good equaliser. However she was flagged for offside, despite not being the player in an offside position.
Newcastle continued to push with Sunderland retreating deeper and eventually that pressure told when fan favourite Sevenius levelled with less than 10 minutes remaining. Jordan Nobbs sent a cross into the area which took a slight deflection off Lumsden’s foot and into the path of the Flying Finn who took one touch to steady herself before drilling a powerful shot into the bottom corner for unrestrained relief.
Sunderland responded following that goal and nearly retook the lead on 90 minutes after United defender Aoife Mannion’s error almost let in Jamie Finn. But not for the first time this season goalie Anna Tamminen was quick off her line to react. Perhaps a deserved let off given the incorrect disallowed offside goal and a penalty appeal which was missed.
After the game United Manager Tanya Oxtoby (pictured above) was furious at the missed calls, pointing out that big decisions such as those that denied her side on Sunday, have had a major bearing on the promotion race.
Newcastle United: Anna Tamminen, Charlotte Wardlaw (Kaitlyn Torpey 46), Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield (Oona Sevenius 66), Emma Kelly (Morgan Gautrat 82), Shania Hayles (Beth Lumsden 66), Molly Pike, Freya Gregory, Deanna Cooper, Aoife Mannion (c), Emily Murphy
Subs not used: Claudia Moan, Demi Stokes, Małgorzata Grec, Jasmine McQuade, Lois Joel
SAFC: Lambourne, Watson (Finn), Dale, Kitching (Scarr), Brown, Fenton (McInnes), Sheva, Hamilton, M. Griffiths (Jones), Westrup (c), Paxton.
Subs not used: Blench, Bewicke, Blades, Dunbar.
Where that leaves NUFC
Newcastle remain fourth in the table on 31 points, now six behind second placed Birmingham City who occupy the second automatic promotion spot. Palace are three points better off than the Lasses in third after they beat leaders Charlton. The club that finishes third will go into a promotion play-off match against the team that ends up bottom of the top tier, which currently is Leicester City. Bristol City are the other team in the mix. They are two points behind Newcastle in fifth with three games remaining.
What’s coming up
This Sunday sees the Lasses host Nottingham Forest before the final international break of the season. The final two games of the campaign see Newcastle make the long trip to Ashton Gate to play Bristol City, before a game with Durham on the final day of the season at Gateshead International Stadium on May 2nd.