Newcastle United women’s team taste derby defeat ahead of the proper one | OneFootball

The Newcastle United women’s team went down to a first defeat of the season, after facing Durham in a competitive ‘derby’ for the first time.

The team saw several changes from the league cup game with Everton, including a surprise omission of defender Charlotte Potts.

While the visitors went with their usual starting eleven, including several Newcastle born players.

However, the Newcastle United women’s team started the brighter with defender Deanna Cooper having a header cleared off the line, from a corner in the first minute. That was quickly followed by a Rachel Furness volley and further chances for captain Amber Keegan-Stobbs and fellow midfielder Elysia Boddy who tested Durham goalie Tatiana Saunders in the opening quarter of an hour.

Striker Amy Andrews also had a shot blocked soon after, but the ball fell to Shania Hayles, who was the next to be denied by Saunders from a one-on-one.

Newcastle’s leading scorer was kept relatively quiet from what was a well organised Durham back four. Their full-back Grace Ayre was mostly responsible for neutralising the Jamaica international but she was lucky to continue after coming off worse, when arriving at pace and lunging into a thunderous 50-50 challenge with Furness. Both were able to continue but Ayre did receive some lengthy treatment.

It was all Newcastle for most of the first half. In fact Durham’s first chance didn’t arrive until the 26th minute when their lively striker Carly Johns shot wide.

Moments later Newcastle very nearly took the lead their play deserved. Furness beat her marker in the air to loop a header on target but Saunders pulled off an excellent save to keep it out.

United Manager Becky Langley had singled out Durham’s Lily Crosthwaite as one of the Wearsiders’ main threats for this game, but the exciting winger was kept mostly quiet by a strong performance from Demi Stokes.

Instead, Durham enjoyed more success down the opposite flank with their Canadian winger Kaila Novak. Having cut in from the left, she let fly with an effort that forced Claudia Moan into a world class save and kept the game scoreless.

Newcastle piled the pressure on inside the final five minutes before the break with Stobbs having two chances to give her side the lead before half-time. In stoppage time, the captain shot from distance but Saunders pulled off a great save to put it over the bar. From the resulting corner Stobbs had another chance, with Saunders again making a top class save to tip the ball over once again.

Durham manager Adam Furness spoke after the game about how the first half was probably the worst his team had played all season, so there was always going to be a response, and Durham were a much improved team in the final 30 minutes as they finally grew into the game. They came close to scoring with 25 minutes to go after a great team move played in Novak but she was unable to keep her shot on target.

Newcastle did still create chances though. A strike from Hayles forced a block from Saunders after a clever low cross from Stobbs. The United captain then picked out Andrews who could only fire straight at Saunders. It would prove to be a frustrating afternoon for the Newcastle striker as she desperately wanted to find the net against her former side.

Some sloppy play at the back by Newcastle started to creep in, with Durham forward Carly Johns looking ever closer to getting a goal herself. She was at the heart of everything good Durham were doing and after being gifted the ball after one such mix up, from full back Lois Joel, she could only fire over from the edge of the area.

Sensing Durham were starting to get on top, Becky Langley introduced some fresh legs, with the impressive Beth Lumsden coming on to play down the left. The former Portsmouth player showed great feet to cut inside but her effort from a narrow angle was saved. Newcastle outshot Durham 10-4, forced their goalie into more saves and earned more corners 11-3, showing they were the team posing most of the questions. It would be harsh to call this a smash and grab but Durham played to the final whistle as the home side seemed to run out of steam.

Another mistake from Newcastle came in the 89th minute and proved to be crucial. Deanna Cooper slipped, giving the ball to Johns, who had her initial shot saved brilliantly by Moan, only for it to fall kindly toDurham midfielder Mollie Lambert, who finished well despite being under pressure by a recovering United defender.

Sadly, the celebrations that followed lacked any kind of class, as both the goal scorer and Durham defender Becky Salicki ran over to the West Stand to taunt the home fans with gestures and foul language, which given the high percentage of children located in the area, was in bad taste, and certainly goes against everything women’s football stands for in making it a family friendly environment.

I understand it’s a derby and emotions will run high but both players should have known better really. The frantic celebrations were only calmed down once Durham captain Sarah Wilson dragged them away.

Despite there being six added minutes at the end and Newcastle throwing everything at Durham, the visitors held on to secure a win they will remember for some time.

Durham are a rarity when it comes to teams in the women’s top two divisions, in that they are a smaller club that aren’t affiliated with a men’s team and as such don’t have the financial budget to compete with some teams, such as Newcastle.

Perhaps because of that it has seen them with a chip on their shoulder. They celebrated (this time with their own fans) long after the final whistle, as though they had just won the World Cup. I suppose this is something Newcastle have to get used to, they will have a target on their back.

Durham have spent the past 11 seasons in the second tier with no realistic chance of earning promotion to the WSL in that time, this game was their cup final and one of the biggest in their history. For Newcastle this will be a quickly forgotten footnote as they continue on their journey.

All focus now turns to the real full-on derby, as the Newcastle United women’s team play their Sunderland counterparts on Sunday, down on Wearside.

Newcastle United: Claudia Moan, Lois Joel (Emma Kelly 71), Deanna Cooper, Rachel Furness, Demi Stokes, Elysia Boddy, Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Jasmine McQuade, Sophie Haywood (Isabella Sibley 61), Amy Andrews, Shania Hayles (Beth Lumsden 61).

Subs not used: Hannah Hawkins, Liv Watt, Katie Barker, Georgia Gibson, Hannah Greenwood, Charlotte Potts.

Durham: Tatiana Saunders, Grace Ayre, Sarah Wilson (C) (Michaela Foster 90’), Becky Salicki, Lauren Briggs, Beth Hepple, Mollie Lambert, Lily Crosthwaite, Hannah Blake (Sarah Robson 72’), Kaila Novak (Abby Holmes 90’), Carly Johns