Newcastle United Women beaten in big test for Becky Langley’s Lasses
One of the ‘perks’ of getting promotion to the Barclays Championship for NUFC Women was that they get to participate in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup - or The Conti Cup as it’s commonly known.
United get to face Super League sides in the group stages of the competition giving them another exciting opportunity to test themselves against some of the best sides in the country and measure their progress.
The group stages for United commenced on Wednesday with a home tie against WSL Everton at Kingston Park and run through to December, with 22 of the 24 clubs from the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship entering in the first round.
Holders Chelsea and Arsenal receive a bye to the quarter-finals as a result of their participation in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The competition is divided into two sections – Northern and Southern – with two groups in the North and three in the South. The winner of each group will join Chelsea and Arsenal in the last eight, along with the best runner-up from across the five groups.
As well as Everton in Wor Lasses’ group they will also face two other WSL sides with Liverpool due at Kingston Park on Sunday 24thNovember before a trip to Manchester United on Wednesday 11th December.
A formidable group indeed but one that this fearless group of ‘Geordies’ will not be afraid to attack and give it their very best shot as they showed on Wednesday with a very creditable 1 – 1 draw with Everton.
It meant a point from their first game but, under the strange competition rules, they couldn’t take a bonus point as they lost a penalty shoot-out 3 – 0 after the 90 minutes to give Everton two points to take back to Merseyside.
Becky Langley took the opportunity to give some of her squad that haven’t played many minutes so far this season by making eight changes from the side that defeated Portsmouth last time out on Sunday 2 – 0 in the Championship.
Only skipper Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Demi Stokes and United’s Women’s first Sela Player of the Month, Jas McQuade retaining their places in the starting XI and what a start Stokes and United made.
Barely 5 minutes on the clock had elapsed when Charlotte Potts played a great ball from the back finding Sophie Haywood in space. The lively forward twisted and turned and got to the byline before cutting the ball back across the box.
Stokes timing her late run perfectly at the back post to steal in unmarked and fire and impressive finish past the left hand of the diving Courtney Brosnan into the bottom corner of the net.
United buoyed by the goal were the better side in the first half and more than matched their more illustrious opponents. Another long ball from Potts found Isabella Sibley but the winger couldn't lift the ball over Brosnan, who'd ventured off her line.
Newcastle continued to cause problems down the right through Sibley who took her time to pick out an inch-perfect cross to Katie Barker, but United's number nine could only blaze over from close range.
Then a long-range free kick from Potts was well struck but Brosnan did well to hold on under pressure. It meant a one-goal advantage for The Lady Mags at half-time and they were well worthy of that lead.
However, just five minutes into the second half Everton found themselves level when Emma Bissell diverted the ball beyond Hannah Hawkins after several deflections in the box.
United certainly didn't let that goal knock their confidence, though and continued to take the fight to Everton with Barker finding space behind the Toffees' backline three minutes after conceding only to be denied once again by Brosnan
United made several substitutions with the likes of Emma Kelly and Georgia Gibson getting their first minutes of the season but inside the last ten minutes it was another substitute Elysia Boddy who tried her luck from distance but her effort was safely grabbed by Brosnan.
Then it was Gibson who almost wheeled away in celebration following an edge-of-the-box volley, but she was denied her moment by a stunning Brosnan fingertip save over the bar.
Neither side looked to be settling for penalties with the Toffees breaking through United's backline in the final two minutes as Veatriki Sarri's low effort went narrowly wide.
Everton then almost snatched all three points in the dying seconds of added time when Elise Stenevik's header crashed off the post and after a rebound, ended up in the arms of Hawkins.
So to penalties and once again it was Brosnan that made her mark in the shoot-out as she saved all three United penalties denying Amy Andrews, Gibson and Rachel Furness to ensure the Merseyside outfit picked up two points on the road in the North East.
A more than credible effort then from United who despite all the changes both before and during the game showed that this squad is built to be together and can cover across numerous positions.
They’ll need that togetherness and ability this coming Sunday as second in the table Durham come to Kingston Park for a huge Championship Derby game that is eagerly anticipated with kick-off at 2:00pm.
