Newcastle United Women 3-3 Manchester City Women (Manchester City Women win 7-6 on penalties) | OneFootball

The Lasses took a first-half lead through Lois Joel’s second long-range goal in two games at the Gateshead International Stadium before Laura Coombs swept home an equaliser in added time.

The Women’s Super League side raced into a 3-1 lead after the restart with a well-worked goal finished off by Yui Hasegawa before an own goal gave the visitors a three-goal lead.

However, United have become accustomed to late drama, and on a grey afternoon in Gateshead, they struck gold once again.

Freya Gregory left Keating stunned in the City goal on 82 minutes when her venomous left-footed effort whizzed over her head and bounced in off the far post for her first goal of the season, before a Shania Hayles deflection sent the game to penalties.

The shoot-out was near perfection from both sides, with Claudia Moan getting closest to a few of the City spot kicks, but it was Keating who proved to be the hero, diving low to her left and keeping out the former Blues defender's effort.

Despite there being 20 between the two sides, it was United who applied the early pressure and looked to keep City penned back in their defensive third.

The Lasses also carved open the first chance when Emily Murphy won the ball off Naomi Layzell before finding Jordan Nobbs outside the 18-yard box and had Khiara Keating scampering across her line to tip the striker beyond the post.

Newcastle’s early pressure and desire paid off when Joel repeated her long-range magic from last weekend at the GIS with a goal from 25 yards out.

Some impressive hustling from Elysia Boddy in midfield saw United win the ball off City high up the pitch before Murphy picked out Joel with a square ball, and the Wales international needed no second invitation to fire home into the far corner, leaving Keating stranded.

However, the WSL side reminded Newcastle of their quality just after the half-hour mark when they successfully played out of the United press and three passes later found themselves in the 18-yard box.

Bunny Shaw was the last one to pick out a pass in what was an impressive move, and she found Leila Ouahabi at the back post, who could only slide her volley wide of an empty net.

Five minutes later, and City came close to levelling things up when Shaw played a neat one-two with Aoba Fujino, who could only cannon her striker off the corner of the crossbar from a tight angle.

With one of the final touches of the first half, captain Coombs pulled City level. Iman Beney rode a challenge from Stokes before picking out the visitors’ number seven to sweep home from close range.

In the blink of an eye of the second-half kicking off, City had taken the lead for the first time through Hasegawa, who was picked out in a tight space by Layzell before flashing an effort beyond Claudia Moan

It was a third for City just after the hour mark when Newcastle failed to clear a City corner, which fell into a group of players before touching Shania Hayles and going in for an own goal.

United were keeping City on their toes when a half-cleared Gregory cross was met by Nobbs on the edge of the area, but she slightly lost her footing on the rain-soaked GIS pitch and volleyed over.

It didn’t take long for United’s persistence in staying in the game to pay off when Gregory, who had been a threat all game down the left, got her first goal of the season.

Newcastle’s Scotland international managed to stand up Kerstin Casparij before sending a ferocious shot from an acute angle flying over Keating’s head, bouncing off the far post and into the back of the net.

With a matter of seconds remaining in the game and only two minutes added on, a long-range effort from Murphy, which appeared to lack the conviction needed to beat Keating, was flicked by substitute Hayles into the far corner.

Despite facing an onslaught of City possession and chances, Newcastle showed grit to remain in the game and got their reward with two late goals, something they have become all too familiar with this season.

United opted to go first in the shoot-out, and there was nothing to separate the two sides, with all five of the nominated takers scoring for both teams.

It then fell onto the shoulders of Gregory, who whipped her effort off the crossbar and in, before Ouahabi matched her moments later. However, the crucial moment came when captain Stokes was denied by Keating, before Laura Blinkilde-Brown stepped up and won the bonus point.

Newcastle United Women: Claudia Moan, Charlotte Wardlaw, Demi Stokes (c), Jordan Nobbs, Elysia Boddy (Shania Hayles 59), Freya Gregory, Małgorzata Grec, Oona Sevenius (Beth Lumsden 75), Lois Joel (Deanna Cooper 75), Aoife Mannion, Emily Murphy

Subs not used: Femke Liefting, Ava Chapman, Lucy Gilbert, Abbie Richardson, Ella Baker, Amelia Freeman