These Lasses man! What a set of Champions (elect) we have wearing the famous black and white stripes. We know they are very, very, very close to sealing back-to-back promotions and moving into the FA Women’s Championship but we also now know how much they really, really want it.
The stunning comeback against a very good, well-drilled and organised Wolverhampton Wanderers Women’s (WWW?!?!) was sensationally stunning to say the least and may even have spawned a new classic song to be long remembered.
“Two-Nil Down to Three Two Up, Katie Barker Wraps It Up!”
Yes, after 90 pulsating minutes and a magical second 45 from United their last long trek to The Midlands for an away league game saw them maintain their momentum and lead at the top of the Northern Premier Division as they overturned a two-goal deficit at half-time to take three more vital points.
It may even be true to say that the first 45 minutes were perhaps the poorest Wor Lasses have put in this season so far and to be honest there haven’t been very many of them at all. But the turnaround was perhaps one of their very finest of the season in contrast.
Never has the saying ‘it was a game of two halves’ ever been truer!
This game always looked like being the biggest and trickiest of the five games in the League run-in United had especially with the thoughts of a huge Cup Final only six days away also on the mind. Most of the recent talk has been about that Cup Final and perhaps the focus had been deflected.
It certainly looked that way after 42 minutes when the hungry Wolves went 2 – 0 up and Amber Hughes netted her second of the game. The home side had opened the scoring on 38 minutes when a free kick fell nicely for Hughes to drill a good finish home past a helpless Grace Donnelly.
Four minutes later and Hughes was sent clear of the United defence and showed great composure to take the ball around Donnelly and slot it into the waiting empty net. Newcastle were stunned and seemingly had a mountain to climb.
A triple substitution from Becky Langley with Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Kacie Elson and Elysia Boddy coming on for Emma Kelly, Beth Lumsden and Olivia Watt was the major decision at half-time as United looked for a way back.
They came out in determined fashion and had a couple of good half chances early on with Georgia Gibson being denied by a good save from Thomas and then Charlotte Potts heading the resulting corner just wide from close range.
United though now looked in the groove and had shaken their first half malaise off getting back into the contest on 54 minutes. Substitute Elson on hand and free at the back post to tap in Barker’s low cross after United’s #9 broke into the left hand side of the box.
Another important goal from Elson who seems to have a knack for the big occasion and coming up trumps when her side need her. With Lumsden cup-tied for next weekend’s FA WNL Cup Final against Hashtag United, Elson may have laid down her marker for a place in the starting XI.
The goal naturally buoyed The Lady Mags who went looking for an equaliser and were now right on top and looking far the more likely side. Paige Bailey-Gayle forcing Thomas into a smart save from close range with Jas McQuade driving the loose ball narrowly wide.
Then after a scare when Donnelly had to be alert and brave to come out and block Fergusson who looked to be in on goal, Bailey-Gayle saw two efforts in the same attack blocked by desperate Wolves defending.
It felt like an equaliser was coming and it duly arrived on 79 minutes. Gibson the provider with a free kick floated into the box and ‘Swagger’ McQuade the executioner with a great header to beat Thomas and draw United level.
Wolves were reeling, United were rolling and really had the bit between their teeth. They might have been happy with a point after their first half performance but the spirit, character, togetherness and belief in this squad and in each other was never going to let them settle for a draw.
When the winner came it sparked scenes of jubilation and celebration from players, the magnificent travelling Toon Army and the coaching staff on the bench that were worthy of a League title win. Perhaps in the end this may just be the goal and three points that gets United over the line.
Elson and Barker were involved again with the provider turned finisher and the finisher reciprocating the provider. Elson’s right wing cross being met with a superb back post header from Barker from about ten yards out that flew past Thomas who had no chance.
United’s Lasses #9 producing the sort of finish that a certain other Newcastle #9 would have been rightly proud of to seal the comeback, nick the three points and make the bus journey home a very sweet and raucous one.
This was, in the end, the perfect start to the build-up for The Cup Final week. Langley and her player’s can now breathe and turn their attentions to a possible first part of a historic double in this gloriously exciting and rewarding season and once again I find myself saying, who’s gonna stop them.
INCREDIBLE.#NUFCWomen pic.twitter.com/NrkbIYHDmo
— Newcastle United Women (@NUFCWomen) March 17, 2024
