Southampton Women 2 Newcastle United Women 2 | OneFootball

The Lasses found themselves 2-0 down at half time thanks to a brace from Molly Pike, but came roaring back after the break.

Some neat build-up play from Amy Andrews, Emily Murphy and Freya Gregory saw the ball land at the feet of Shania Hayles, who fired home on the half-turn to establish her spot as the Barclays Women's Championship top goalscorer.

With time ticking away and deep into three minutes of added time, Andrews was the quickest to react to a goalmouth scramble after Southampton failed to clear a corner and United's number 17 smashed home to steal a point on the road.

It was all United in the opening exchanges and Hayles almost got on the scoresheet, but her close-range header was well kept out by Fran Stevenson.

However, just three minutes later the Saints had taken the lead. A ball in behind set Araya Dennis away down the left before picking out the on-rushing Pike, who scrambled the ball home from a few yards out.

After a close offside call, Pike doubled Southampton's lead when a straight ball through United's defence unleashed the striker who burst on goal and fired into the top corner.

The Lasses had a golden opportunity to half the deficit seconds before the break when Hayles beat the Saints' offside trap, but her touch was slightly too heavy around Stevenson, allowing the home side to get ample numbers back to divert the danger.

Despite Newcastle enjoying the majority of possession after the break, another ball through the middle saw Dennis break away, but Claudia Moan came to United's rescue by standing tall and palming the effort behind.

However, the Lasses' persistence soon paid off after some neat one-touch passes between Gregory, Murphy and Andrews with the final pass finding its way to Hayles.

The Jamaica international's first touch saw her spin her marker before firing beyond Stevenson into the top corner from the penalty spot.

Southampton almost restored their two-goal lead just four minutes later, when Dennis, who caused United problems all afternoon, found space in behind but her dinked effort landed narrowly wide of Moan's near post.

Following United's goal, the game began to really open up as the Saints sprung a counter-attack after a Newcastle corner. However, when the ball finally found Pike in the box, she could only watch her strike bounce off the crossbar.

As the game entered the final 15 minutes it was the turn of United's debutant, Murphy, to try her luck as Hayles slipped her through one-on-one but her low effort was well saved by the legs of Stevenson.

United couldn't have gone much closer to equaliser than when Andrews latched onto Murphy's delicate flick through before cutting inside the area and whipping an effort goalbound, only for Stevenson to tip her effort onto the post and fall on top of the ball.

Only a minute separated Newcastle's next chance which saw a Rachel Furness effort from the corner of the 18-yard box glide over Stevenson's head and rebound off the post.

Becky Langley's side refused to give up and with just over 90 seconds left to play, Southampton failed to clear Beth Lumsden's corner.

After some pinball in the box, Andrews ran onto the loose ball before thundering her effort beyond several bodies on the line.

Newcastle United Women: Claudia Moan, Lia Cataldo, Deanna Cooper (Hannah Greenwood 34), Charlotte Wardlaw, Demi Stokes, Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Lois Joel (Rachel Furness 45), Jasmine McQuade (Emily Murphy 45), Katie Barker (Amy Andrews 45), Shania Hayles (Beth Lumsden 87), Freya Gregory

Subs not used: Grace Donnelly, Hannah Hawkins, Isabella Sibley, Ava Chapman