Newcastle United have a new ‘Mackem Slayer’ and her name is Beth Lumsden. The ex-Portsmouth winger who signed for Wor Lasses netted both goals to give United a huge 2 – 1 win in the Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Lumsden scored with right and left foot to give United a 2 – 0 lead after 48 minutes but a late Emily Scarr goal for the hosts meant a nervous last 12 minutes for Becky Langley and her team plus there were seven added minutes to negotiate as well.
But Langley will have been delighted with the way her side controlled the game down the stretch even when under pressure late on to take a valuable three points in the race for the Barclays Women’s Championship.
A Championship that’s already looking like it’s wide open with only three points separating the top six places. United currently sitting in fifth place with 10 points from 5 games, one game on hand on most above them.
The attendance at The Stadium of Light was a new Championship record of 15,387 buoyed by a huge contingent of Geordies in the North West corner. They certainly made themselves heard throughout the pulsating 90 minutes plus out singing the home crowd.
Then at the final whistle they stayed behind to celebrate a superb derby day win over their nearest local rivals as the whole of the United squad and backroom staff came across to acknowledge their superb support.
It was in many ways a tight, tense, typical derby with both sides highly committed and energised in their approach to the game. Sunderland staying doggedly determined despite going two down and making their visiting neighbours sweat for their three points.
But in the end Newcastle got there and on the evidence of the overall 90 minutes it was no more than they deserved. They played the crisper more incisive football although in truth neither side created too many clear-cut chances.
It was also a tremendous bounce-back win for Langley’s side after the previous week’s home loss to Durham. That defeat had brought home to Newcastle and all involved with The Club just how tough the Championship is as a League.
It was also crucial for United to get back on track as quickly as they did as with only one team able to gain promotion to the Women’s Super League and only 20 league games to contest any points dropped can be crucial.
An excellent strike from @x_lumsden 🤩#BarclaysWC @NUFCWomen pic.twitter.com/vA4dXLJJq6
— Barclays Women’s Championship (@BarclaysWC) October 14, 2024
For United one of the most notable things was the changes made from the previous week’s loss. No Deanna Cooper through injury meant Charlotte Potts came back into the side and Olivia Watt replaced Lois Joel at right back.
With ex-Sunderland stopper Claudia Mona in goal, Demi Stokes at left back and Rachel Furness alongside Potts in the centre of defence it meant United fielded a back five of local lasses from the start.
In midfield it was the tried and trusted trio of superbly influential skipper Amber-Keegan Stobbs who drove the side forward all game alongside the magic of Elysia Boddy and ‘swaggering’ Jas McQuade.
Upfront Langley went with Shania Hayles through the middle flanked by Isabella Sibley on the right and Lumsden on the left. It’s fair to say that Newcastle’s manager certainly produced a winning combination.
A big shout-out to Hannah Greenwood as well who came on at half-time for the injured Furness and put in a great shift alongside Potts as the Newcastle back line hardly missed a beat.
It was actually Sunderland that had the game’s first clear cut chance inside the first two minutes when Mary McAteer got behind the United defence to control and then go around Moan who forced her wide and then recovered to hold McAteer’s angled effort.
United’s first opening came on 8 minutes when Lumsden delivered a great corner that Furness got a lovely, flicked header on but the ball dropped just wide of the far post. The same combination almost coming up trumps again for United on 20 minutes.
This time it was a Lumsden free kick that saw Furness rise highest at the back post but she could only put her header onto the top of the net. But from provider to finisher Lumsden it was that broke the deadlock on 28 minutes.
Potts did well to win a Sunderland clearance about 40 yards from goal playing the ball wide left to Lumsden. The skilful winger turning inside Jessie Stapleton advancing towards goal and smashing it high past Demi Lambourne from 8-yards out.
The home side’s central striker Eleanor Dale almost levelled on 33 minutes when put clean through on goal but Moan came off her line superbly to block and keep her old side out.
One-nil at the break became two within three minutes of the restart. Clever work between Watt, Hayles and Sibley combined to win United a corner on the Sunderland right for Lumsden to take.
She curled a wicked left-foot inswinger deep to the back post which Lambourne could not get enough on to keep out with the ball dropping into the net to double Lumsden’s and United’s tally.
On 58 minutes it was almost 3 – 0 to Wor Lasses. A sublime outside of the foot pass from Lumsden releasing Hayles in on goal but her finish was not precise enough and Lambourne got down to keep the home side in the contest.
With 12 minutes to go the hosts found a lifeline to give the game a grandstand finish. Emily Scarr getting in front of Watt to be first to Natasha Fenton’s deep cross and lift the ball over Moan to pull a goal back.
United though almost restored their two-goal cushion immediately with a lightening counter attack that saw Stokes through on goal 1-on-1 with Lambourne. Stokes hit the target with her effort but Lambourne did well to get across and smother the effort.
The final chance of the game fell to Sunderland fell to Jenna Dear as the game went into injury time but her first-time snapshot from just outside the 18-yard box went narrowly over and United held on to claim a huge scalp and bragging rights.
Next up for The Lady Mags is a home game at Kingston Park next Sunday against early leaders Charlton Athletic who whilst Newcastle were winning away from home lost for the first time this season at London City Lionesses 2 – 1.
It’s going to be another blockbuster of a game in what is already proving to be a season where every game is tough and every challenge is a big one for Becky Langley and her squad
