Newcastle United got a harsh reality lesson at Kingston Park on Sunday when they went crashing out of the Continental Tyres League Cup following a 6-1 home thrashing off Super League Liverpool.
The Lady Mags simply couldn’t cope with the power, pace and passing of a dominant Liverpool side that had the game wrapped up well before half-time. Becky Langley and her players now know what it takes to compete at the highest level.
United’s ‘Conti Cup’ campaign had started brightly with a 1 – 1 draw last month against Liverpool’s Super League neighbours Everton. A performance that gave hope that perhaps United could hold their own against Liverpool.
Langley though has made no secret of the fact that The Championship and finishing as high as they can in their first season at that level is her and The Club’s priority. A fact perhaps underlined by United’s boss’ selection for this game.
Her team showed 7 changes from the Southampton league game 7 days prior at St. James Park. Langley had indicated that she would use this game and the forthcoming final Group game away at Manchester United as a chance to rotate her squad.
With first choice centre backs Charlotte Potts and last week’s hero Deanna Cooper both out through injury it further restricted Langley’s options. Liv Watt and Hannah Greenwood the centre back pairing with Hannah Hawkins coming in for Claudia Moan in goal.
Liverpool also took the opportunity to give game time to some of their squad members as well but you wouldn’t have thought it with the express way they started the game. Clearly they wanted to put their marker down and get to business from the first whistle.
It took a brilliant double reflex save from Hawkins inside the first 30 seconds to first deny 17-year-old Zara Shaw and then England Under-23 squad member Mia Enderby the honour of giving Liverpool a dramatic lead.
Then Swedish Under-23 international Cornelia Kopocs was narrowly but correctly ruled offside on three minutes as she just went too early before getting to the ball and beating Hawkins.
A Liverpool goal seemed inevitable and when it came on 10 minutes what a beauty it was. Shaw curling a superb 25-yard shot beyond the despairing dive of Hawkins. Two minutes later and it was 2 – 0 with a beautifully crafted goal from the visitors.
Japanese international midfielder winning the ball well just inside her own half then feeding Kapocs who’s instant reverse ball sent Enderby speeding away from the Newcastle defence and she coolly slid the ball past the advancing Hawkins from 18-yards.
The Lasses almost found a way back into the game via their own counter-attack when Amy Andrews’ pace saw her get in behind the Liverpool backline and she teed up Katie Barker to cross, but her whipped ball in just evaded the head of an unmarked Isabella Sibley in the centre of the box.
With 32 minutes on the clock, Andrews then pounced on a mistake in midfield by Liverpool and raced away with the goal in her sights, but a great recovery run and tickle from Gemma Evans saved the Reds.
From the resulting corner, United played it short and after some pinball, it fell to Captain Demi Stokes at an acute angle, but her half-volley from 12-yards out fizzed narrowly wide of Australian International Teagan Micah’s near post.
It was a temporary reprieve for United who went 3-down on 35 minutes. This time it was Liv Smith taking a great pass from Kapocs slipping past Lois Joel and then from 6-yards out dinking the ball over Hawkins.
Liverpool weren’t finished there and it was game over a minute into injury time when a great cross from the right by Enderby saw Kapocs get in between the United defenders and in front of Hawkins to volley home from 4 yards out.
Four-nil at half-time didn’t really flatter Liverpool who had been brilliant for the first 45 minutes and hadn’t allowed United a footing in the game. The clinical finishing being a feature of a superb opening half performance.
On the resumption it was more of the same and The reds went nap on 55 minutes. An element of fortune about the goal. Shaw’s shot was blocked but fell kindly for Enderby to sweep home her second of the game.
Newcastle though to their credit kept plugging away and certainly didn’t let their heads go down. They continued to try and go forward showing real character and commitment and it almost brought them a reward.
On her 101st appearance for the club, substitute Georgia Gibson found space inside the 18-yard box after a nice touch to turn her defender but could only drag her strike wide of the near post from a good position.
With two minutes to go United did get a consolation goal. Liv Watt’s deep free kick into the visitor’s box was not headed firmly enough away by Hannah Silcock and Andrews was on hand to lash a low half volley into the back of the net from 10-yards out.
Andrews who had battled gamely all game and was perhaps one of the few United players that came out of the game with any credit deserving the goal for whole-hearted efforts.
Unfortunately for United it wasn’t the end of the scoring as three minutes into injury time Shaw found unmarked substitute Leanne Kiernan inside the box and she rifled home past a helpless Hawkins from 12-yards.
The final score of 6 – 1 a reality check for United. If the point of this exercise was to see where they were at, how far they’d come in three seasons and how much further they have to go then it was an exercise they’ll learn from.
Pluses were that they never let their heads go down. Amber-Keegan Stobbs showed real drive and leadership qualities when she came on and had to switch to centre back. Emma Kelly who has been out virtually all season got good minutes on her return.
Whilst Andrews goal will hopefully give her confidence a boost given the opposition it came against and as it was only the striker’s second of the season. Other than that, it really wasn’t the result nor performance that Langley would have wanted from her team.
United are due to face Manchester United away in their final Continental Cup Group on the 11thDecember. But before that they’ve been given a glorious chance to progress in The FA Cup.
They have been drawn at home to either Hull City or Middlesbrough in the 3rd round of this season’s competition in a game that will be played at Kingston Park on Sunday 8thDecember. Both Hull and Boro being in the League below Wor Lasses.
