A New Year but an old story. The Mighty Lady Magpies march ever onwards. They say ‘pick up where you left off,’ if it’s been good as well as ‘start as you mean to go on.’ United’s Lasses covered both with yet another demolition job to continue their magnificent run.
It’s now thirty games unbeaten in all competitions as a 7 – 0 drubbing of shellshocked Halifax Town continued United’s relentless pursuit of the Northern Premier Division title and promotion to the Championship.
This game marked the halfway point of the League season. So far so good is the half-term report for Becky Langley’s side. 11 games, 10 wins, 1 draw and a massive +37 goal difference equals a five-point lead as they sit top of the table.
Halifax had been due to take on Wor Lasses back on Women’s World Cup Final Day, Sunday August 20th 2023. Despite United laying on a private viewing room for the visitor’s with refreshments and a later kick-off time, Halifax declined the invitation.
They might now will be rueing that decision as the added bit of needle and the intervening months have just seen Newcastle go from strength to strength and almost from the kick-off they looked far too good for the Yorkshire outfit.
Becky Langley made three changes to her starting XI from the side that had demolished AFC Fylde 11 – 3 prior to Christmas and the year end. 18-year-old Daisy Burt came in for her first start of the season in defence with Naiomi Bedeau. Olivia Watt and Captain Amber-Keegan Stobbs making way.
In midfield Elysia Boddy had regained enough fitness to return with Hannah Greenwood stepping down to the bench alongside Stobbs. Once again the benefit of United’s big squad paying dividends.
Right from the first whistle United looked dangerous and it only took them 3 minutes to take the lead. Tyler Dodds showing excellent control on the right wing before playing a superb reverse pass inside to Georgia Gibson.
Gibson got to the byline before firing in a low cross that Halifax Keeper Becky Flaherty failed to hold and there was Katie Barker barely two yards out with the easiest of tap-ins to start the ball rolling.
It was almost two-nil moments later. Boddy’s right wing corner was met by Charlotte Potts with a firm downward header from six-yards that flew past Flaherty but was prevent from doubling United’s lead by a great goal-line clearance by Ellie White.
Halifax even had the temerity to seek out an equaliser on 10 minutes when a momentary lapse in United’s defence gave White a shooting chance. Burt though got across well and her pressure saw White snatch at the chance and Grace Donnelly saved easily.
Newcastle did double their lead on 14 minutes. A Boddy free-kick into the box was cleared by the visiting defence only for Jas McQuade to pick the loose ball up and drive past the defence deep into the box.
McQuade then stood up a delightfully chipped cross to the back post and there was Gibson unmarked to head home into an empty net from about 3 yards out for her sixth goal of the season.
The domination was evident and the gap between the two sides very clear as United stroked the ball around and Halifax were chasing shadows as they played damage limitation.
Not that the limitation last long as on 27 minutes Newcastle made it 3 – 0 and what a goal it was. McQuade picking the ball up inside her own half and forged forward into the oipposition’s half before laying a neat square ball into the path of Boddy.
The creative all energy midfielder spotting Barker wide and in space on the left swept the ball into the forward’s path. Barker controlled well cut inside beautifully and then from 20-yards out curled a superb effort on target.
The despairing dive of Flaherty saw her get a hand to Barker’s effort but not with enough power to keep the ball from landing in the far corner of the net. Now, it was a question of how many United would get.
The Lasses top scorer Bridget Galloway almost made it four. Dodds right wing cross saw McQuade win the ball in the box but she couldn’t get it under control. Quick as a flash though Galloway from six-yards out tried a spectacular overhead kick that flew inches wide with Flaherty beaten.
The almost inevitable fourth did arrive on 43 minutes. Boddy deceived the Halifax defence with a free-kick where she found Galloway inside the box. The striker controlled the ball well and then laid it back to Emma Kelly outside the box.
Kelly took aim from 22-yards and her fine low drive took a deflection off Isabel Dean as it hit the back of the Halifax net with some force to clinch all three points before the half-time whistle had even sounded.
Indeed United not only had four by half-time but still had time to go even further in front with some more fantastic football and were really unlucky on a couple of more occasions.
A brilliant move started by the effervescent Barker rampaging on the left saw her turn a lovely ball inside to McQuade. The midfielder attacked the centre of the Halifax played a great one-two with Galloway before sliding the ball past Flaherty only to see it come back off the post.
It fell to Galloway who perhaps should have done better than smashing it wide from about 8-yards out. Then it was another Boddy free kick that almost opened up the beleaguered visitors defence again.
The initial ball was cleared but Kelly was first to the loose clearance and gave it back to Boddy who hit a superb dipping 30-yard effort that crashed off the underside of the bar and once again fell to the predatory Galloway.
Her first time effort was brilliantly blocked by the brave Flaherty but Galloway got to the rebound found McQuade who looked a certain score as she sent her effort past Faherty only to be denied by another goal line clearance.
The half time whistle sounding almost immediately after this chance much to Halifax’s relief as they trooped off to discuss the wreckage that Wor Lasses had reeked in the first 45 minutes.
The huge Kingston Park crowd of 2,200 was a buzz during the interval and looking forward to seeing what their favourites could serve up in the second half.
It was actually a reasonably quiet opening but not for long as Newcastle went 5 – 0 up on 52 minutes with another goal from Barker to complete her hat-trick and take her into double figures for the season.
Dodds right wing corner was cleared to the edge of the box where half-time substitute Hannah Greenwood who had come on for Boddy was lurking. She controlled the ball well before smashing a low shot goal wards that saw Flaherty parry brilliantly.
Unfortunately the Halifax keeper’s efforts were not matched by her defenders as they failed to stop Barker stabbing the ball towards the empty net. Darcie Greene almost kept it out but the ball went in and there was no doubt about who was claiming it.
Flaherty must have felt like Davy Crockett at The Alamo as she was constantly under siege. Called upon again when another Dodds corner was only partially cleared she did brilliantly to tip Gibson’s 16-yard effort over for another corner.
It lead to United’s sixth on 59 minutes. This time another Dodds corner was partially cleared again and Greenwood pounced on the loose ball. Showing great control she transferred the ball from right to left foot and then drilled it into the net from 14-yards.
Barker was virtually unplayable on the left as time and time again she stretched the visitor’s defence. Another great run and cut inside saw her setup McQuade about 22-yards out and she struck her shot well only for Flaherty to make another superb save.
Halifax’s defensive woes and in ability to cope cumulated in them conceding a seventh goal on 79 minutes. They tried to play out from the back with Flaherty giving the ball to Dean on the edge of the box.
The defender though was disposed by Dodds who produced a super side step into the box to open up space and then curled a beautiful left footed angled effort that sailed into the top corner of the net giving Flaherty no chance and registering Dodds first goal for United.
As time ebbed away Halifax almost snatched a consolation goal right on the final whistle. Burt played a neat back pass to Donnelly but the United Captain for the day failed to clear her lines and presented the ball to Leah Sowerby.
Sowerby sent Greene through the middle of the United defence but with only an out of position Donnelly to beat, the Halifax midfielder put her effort wide of the target as Donnelly closed down her angle.
It would have been unjust on United had they lost their clean sheet but thankfully they didn’t and the final whistle saw the faithful Toon fans rise to acclaim their goal hungry favourites as another storied win was celebrated.
So, now, it’s on to next Sunday and the big one. Manchester United away in the Adobe FA Women’s Cup Fourth Round at Leigh Sports Village. A last 32-team tie that could see The Lasses move into the last 16.
It’s going to be an enormous task and test for Wor Lasses but 30 games and 13 months unbeaten should see them go in with nothing to lose and full of confidence against one of the very best Women’s Super League sides.
📸 Well worth the wait!#NUFCWomen pic.twitter.com/dshVjik3HT
— Newcastle United Women (@NUFCWomen) January 7, 2024
Will be interesting to see how we do against Man utd it will be a really though test but a good marker to see where we are and were we need to be.
No pressure really just a free hit.
Porkpie(Quote)