Newcastle United Women 2 Bristol City Women 2 | OneFootball

United took the lead seconds before the half time whistle when Oona Sevenius made it two goals in two games after firing home at the second time of asking.

However, two goals from Rio Hardy in the second half looked to have set Bristol City Women on their way to three points at the Gateshead International Stadium, which was before Lois Joel took aim.

United’s Welsh international picked the ball up 30 yards from goal, and with a roar from the crowd for her to shoot, she duly obliged and fired home a dramatic equaliser past the diving Bentley.

The Robins were soaking up a lot of first-half pressure, but they could’ve taken a shock lead when United failed to clear a cross, allowing Marine Dafeur to fire past Femke Liefting, but not the near post.

After that early scare, Newcastle appeared to click into gear with some slick passing down the right from Emily Murphy, who disguised an inside pass to Gautrat and picked out Demi Stokes at the back post before being denied by the outstretched leg of Bentley.

Gautrat was running the show against Bristol, popping up between the lines and picking out clinical passes, which almost saw her register a second assist of the season to Sevenius, but her strike was well blocked by a wall of defenders.

With just nine minutes left to play, Deanna Cooper almost scored a goal of the season contender when her header from just beyond the halfway line lobbed Bentley in the Bristol goal and narrowly bounced over the bar, saving the keeper’s blushes.

However, for the first time this season, with just seconds left to play in the first half, Newcastle found themselves in front at home.

United’s two-time World Cup winner, Gautrat, teased the Bristol defence by cutting back onto her right foot on the byline and fizzing a low cross to Sevenius, who was denied a first-time, but her second effort fired high into the top corner.

While Newcastle went into the break with their tails up, Bristol got themselves back level just 90 seconds into the second half.

A long ball down the right saw Mari Ward burst into the box and square the ball to Hardy, unmarked in the six-yard box, and tap home into an empty net.

Charlotte Healy almost saw her side race ahead for the first time in the game when a free-kick was won by Bristol and found the feet of Sophie Ingle, who was only stopped by a brave Liefting save from point-blank range.

Following Bristol’s leveller, the game began to open up with chances at both ends, and the latest fell to Molly Pike. A perfectly weighted ball into the box was dummied by Murphy and left for an unmarked Pike to aim for the bottom corner, but a lack of pace saw Bentley easily grasp the ball.

Bristol managed to get themselves ahead when Hardy doubled her lead after some tidy footwork from Vera Jones to get past Aoife Mannion in the box before the former calmly slotted home.

For the third time in five league games, United hauled themselves back level with just minutes of the game left to play.

A hacked clearance from Bristol picked out Joel 30 yards from goal, and the Wales international needed one touch to set herself before unleashing a thunderous strike beyond the reach of Bentley to secure a point for the Lasses.

Newcastle United Women: Femke Liefting, Demi Stokes, Jordan Nobbs (Elysia Boddy 78), Morgan Gautrat (Jasmine McQuade 78), Molly Pike (Freya Gregory 74), Deanna Cooper, Oona Sevenius (Beth Lumsden 74), Lois Joel, Aoife Mannion, Emily Murphy, Lia Cataldo

Subs not used: Claudia Moan, Charlotte Wardlaw, Shania Hayles, Malgorzata Grec