Looking at the current Barclays Women’s Championship Table in the cold, freezing light of a frosty North East morning it may not be the reading Newcastle United Women and all involved with the Club want to see. But it could have been a lot, lot worse!
A dramatic 90 + 9 minute equaliser from the excellent United defender Deanna Cooper snatching a point for her side and pulling two away from the visitor’s who had led from the 7thminute of the game. It was a moment of pure pandemonium as the 11,620 crowd celebrated it like a winner not a leveller.
It perhaps gave Becky Langley and her players the sort of feeling that Charlton Athletic had taken from Kingston Park when they snatched a point with two very late goals. Certainly, it was a relieved and much happier Langley and Cooper who faced the media at the post-game interviews.
The 1 – 1 draw leaving the two sides on identical 4 wins 3 draws and 2 losses records, although Southampton are one place above United in sixth having a superior goal difference with their 15 points. Leaders Birmingham and second placed Durham being only though 4 points away.
Given the tightness of the Division and the respective standings of the sides before the game it was no surprise the contest was hard fought with little in it. Some said it was a game of two halves. Southampton were the better side with the better chances in the first half.
They perhaps could have been more in front at the break but United showed real determination, character and resilience in the second 45 minutes and although they left it very, very, very late in the end definitely deserved their point.
Southampton had gone in front on 7 minutes with a goal that was a disaster for home keeper Claudia Moan who is usually so reliable and solid. Moan was given a comfortable back pass from Cooper and her first touch was assured.
Her second though was not as she nudged the ball too far forward allowing Freya Godfrey to rob and round her before placing the ball into the empty net from 4 yards out. A disaster from the United keeper as she put her side on the back foot.
But Moan wasn’t the Championship’s Player of the Season last campaign with Sunderland for no reason and went on to not put a single foot or glove wrong for the rest of the game showing her professionalism and experience.
She indeed kept her side in the game not long after she’s gifted the Saints the opener. Aimee Palmer’s long low ball down the right catching Charlotte Potts out as Molly Pike got to it first and sped away from the United defence.
As she entered the box in the inside right channel Pike tried to chip Moan who did superbly well to get up to the effort and turn it on to the bar with Cooper clearing the ball as it bounced back down. A great save from Moan as two done inside 10 minutes could have been curtains.
United’s closest moment in the first half came on 27 minutes. Jas McQuade winning a ball in the centre circle and driving forward before finding Katie Barker in a central position. Barker showed great feet to ghost past a defender and then hit a great effort from 20-yards that smacked against the bar.
On 32 minutes it was Moan to the rescue again. Lucia Kendall’s dynamic run and pass from the centre of midfield giving goal scorer Gregory another chance. But she saw her well struck angled left foot drive from 12 yards brilliantly turned away by the diving Moan.
The ball falling to Rachel Rowe who’s follow-up effort was well blocked by Demi Stokes. Rowe going reasonably close again moments later with a drive from the edge of the box that Moan got down to smother well.
United had the last chance of the first half when good play by Beth Lumsden who had looked a threat all game saw her find United’s top scorer Shania Hayles inside the box. Hayles turned onto her weaker right foot and was reluctant to shoot delaying long enough to allow Jemma Purfield to block.
One down at the interval and in truth the ‘box 4’ in midfield hadn’t quite worked for Langley and her side who switched to a more fluid 3-5-2 formation in the second half but on the hour mark with little progress made Langley brought on Amy Andrews and Elysia Boddy who both injected some energy.
On 65 minutes a long Lumsden free kick being headed out by the Saints defence to Amber-Keegan Stobbs who curled a beauty from the edge of the box that beat keeper Fran Stenson but was just wide of the post.
Then Andrews cut in dangerously from the right wing before finding McQuade just inside the box with a neat lay-off. McQuade went for the little dinked chip and thought she’d got it just right but the tall Stenson just had enough as she back pedalled to make palm the ball away in great style.
With 15 minutes to go Boddy found Lumsden who running in on goal nutmegged Milly Mott before stabbing the ball with her left foot from an angle six yards out only to see it go past Stenson and agonisingly inches wide of the far post.
United really were pushing everything at Southampton now and Stokes found Lumsden who drove a low left foot shot from just inside the box on target but Stenson was down quickly to save comfortably. Then another Lumsden free kick was flicked on by Stobbs that’s saw Cooper just fail to get on the end of.
As time ticked down Cooper who had been superb all game drove her team forward once more. Finding Lumsden on the left who turned back onto her right foot and delivering a deep cross to the back post that Sibley got on the end of but couldn’t get enough power to trouble Stenson.
And then it came! 99 minutes on the clock when Lumsden swung a corner right into the heart of the Saints six-yard area. Stenson punched clear and Sibley was on to the loose ball. Her first shot blocked and the ball came back to her with the follow-up being blocked as well.
The ball went up in the air and Sibley headed it into the six-yard box. Rachel Brown tried to smash it clear but the ball hit Boddy and rebounded back towards goal and there was Cooper only 4 yards out to guide it past the helpless Stenson and rescue a point for United.
A dramatic finish indeed especially as Southampton barely had time to kick off before the referee blew her whistle for full time. United had hoped that the St. James’ Park effect would have lifted them to a victory and get their challenge back on track.
In the end Cooper’s Gallowgate end moment preserved an 8-match unbeaten effort at United’s Premier League abode. At the same time it prevented Wor Lasses from avoiding a second consecutive defeat something that hasn’t happened since 2019.
Next up for Langley and her squad is a break from league action as they look forward to two massive Continental League Cup games against WSL giants Liverpool and Manchester United.
The first against Liverpool is at home at Kingston Park on Sunday 24th November before United travel to Leigh Sports Village to take on the ‘other’ United on Wednesday 11th December.
