End of the dream for Newcastle United women’s team, for now | OneFootball

The Newcastle United Women’s team went into their home game with London City Lionesses, knowing anything less than a win would rule out promotion to the WSL for this season.

Sitting in sixth place with 26 points, and with a game in hand on most teams, as they entered the final quarter of the season.

The Lady Mags got off to a great start, in front of 2,680 fans at Kingston Park, as they took on the promotion favourites. Emily Murphy was the creator-in-chief as she drove at the visitors back four before playing in Shania Hayles. However, Newcastle’s leading scorer was unable to steer her shot around Emily Orman in the London City goal.

But despite the Lasses looking so strong direct from the kick off, they found themselves behind inside the opening five minutes.

London City are perhaps the only club in the Championship who can match the Lady Mags financially. The Bromley-based side were taken over during the summer and have signed several quality players, including several Swedish internationals to their line-up.

One of those players, Sofia Jakobsson, showed great control to gather in a long ball, before finding Izzy Goodwin, who hit a first-time effort beyond United goalie Claudia Moan.

Jakobsson very nearly made it 2-0 moments later when she first drove at Demi Stokes before cutting inside and firing just wide of the post.

But despite that setback, United responded well and almost drew level before the 10 minute mark. Rachel Furness picked out Beth Lumsden in the box for the flying winger to hit a shot on the volley. Orman doing well to push the ball around the post.

Newcastle continued to apply the pressure and it wasn’t long before they carved out another chance. Jas McQuade did well to find Stokes before she in turn picked out Lumsden who was left unmarked in the area. But unfortunately she was unable to get a clean connection on the ball and the chance went begging.

But she soon put that disappointment behind her to fire Newcastle back level. Having stolen the ball back through Shania Hayles, she released Emily Murphy, who was having a huge bearing on the game. Her enterprising play took two London City defenders out, before releasing Lumsden with a delayed pass, for her to net with a composed finish.

That seemed to wake London City Lionesses from their slumber as moments later Lia Cataldo was forced into blocking an initial shot, before Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah fired wide after finding herself left all alone in the area having collected the rebound.

With half time approaching, Newcastle pushed to take the lead. Murphy’s cutback found Stokes, but her looping shot towards the far corner was plucked out of the air by Orman.

However, somewhat against the run of play, London City would be the side that would take a lead with them into the break, when Jakobsson’s direct running saw her cut inside Cataldo before slotting home from a tight angle.

Similar to the previous week against Sunderland, the second half was much more closely contested with neither goalkeeper really being called into action. The closest either side came was from a Beth Lumsden free kick which was stopped by Osman, before Emily Murphy fired over the bar from 25 yards out.

London City had made a couple of changes early in the second half and moved to a different system, going to five at the back. Teyah Goldie, Saki Kumagai and Megan Campbell defended well and saw Newcastle struggle to create the same number of chances they had in the first.

However, Beth Lumsden almost grabbed a dramatic late equaliser deep into stoppage time when her free-kick came back off the bar. But it ultimately wasn’t to be and Newcastle slipped to just their second home league defeat of the season.

Newcastle United Women: Claudia Moan, Lia Cataldo, Charlotte Wardlaw, Deanna Cooper, Demi Stokes, Rachel Furness (Freya Gregory 65), Amber-Keegan Stobbs (c), Jas McQuade, Beth Lumsden, Shania Hayles (Lois Joel 71), Emily Murphy.

Subs not used: Hannah Hawkins, Grace Donnelly, Liv Watt, Katie Barker, Hannah Greenwood, Amy Andrews, Isabella Sibley

London City: Emily Orman, Neville (Brown 91’), Teyah Goldie, Saki Kumagai, Asllani, Pérez (Brougham 67’), Sofia Jakobsson, Roddar, Izzy Goodwin (Godfrey 67’), Imuran, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (Megan Campbell 45’).

Where that leaves the Newcastle United Women’s team

Newcastle remain in sixth place with 26 points. They have a game in hand on all the teams above them and have four games left to play. The best they can finish now is second.

The dream of a third promotion in a row, now at an end.

The Lasses return to action after the international break on Sunday, 13th April, when they host Blackburn Rovers at Kingston Park.