It’s not quite crisis time but Manager Becky Langley will be getting a little concerned as her side slipped to successive defeats. The latest being a 2 – 1 loss in the Subway Women’s League Cup at Nottingham Forest.
United, who went into the game on the back of a disappointing 4 – 2 League defeat at St. Andrews against Birmingham City, were looking to bounce back in The Cup against a side they’d already beaten on the road in their first League game of the season.
But it was Forest who won the clash of the WSL2 sides this time, and gave themselves a chance of qualification from the Group stages with both sides having two games still to play. For United that will be two home games against WSL top Division opponents.
They have Manchester City and Everton to face at Gateshead International Stadium in the coming weeks. Two daunting tasks in a competition that is tough for those sides outside of the top League in domestic Women’s football.
But it will be more worrying for Langley that her side, despite shuffling the pack, came away from Wednesday’s game with a 2 – 1 reversal especially after taking the lead in the game and probably being the better side throughout.
After that 4 – 2 defeat at Birmingham Langley rang the changes once again with 7 swapped out to give fringe players some playing time. Langley no doubt at all wanted to win the game but also wanted to give some of the players that arrived in the summer meaningful minutes.
Defenders Malgorzata Grec and Jorja Fox getting their first starts, Jas McQuade after two goals in to games from the bench stepping up. Beth Lumsden restored to the starting XI to play upfront alongside returning Shania Hayles. Freya Godfrey and Lois Joel also back in the side.
It was an open game from the start. Forest opening well with Femke Liefting having to save early from Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah and then Aimee Claypole driving a shot just wide from outside the box.
United’s first response saw Lumsden trying her luck from outside the box but it was too close to Georgie Ferguson who saved comfortably. Hollie Olding had Forest’s next effort but was too high with her attempt.
The game did swing end to end but no-one really tested either keeper severely. United’s Lumsden charged into the box and fizzed a low effort to the back post, picking out Gregory, but Forest got enough bodies back to block the effort.
Fox showed some nice footwork which found her space to thread Lumsden down the right wing and pick out McQuade, who made a trademark late run into the box, but her effort was well blocked as it headed for the bottom corner.
Fox was impressing on full debut down the right for United as the first half went on. She played a perfectly weighted ball to Murphy who dummied the pass for Hayles to strike just wide of the far post from a good position inside the box.
As half-time approached a Lumsden corner from the right was well flicked on by Hayles, and a high bounce saw Murphy attempt an acrobatic bicycle kick with the last kick of the half, forcing Ferguson to scramble low and push the ball away.
Level at the break with everything to play for. United starting the second half brightly and on the front foot went in front on 53 minutes. A long ball from Liefting picked out Lumsden.
Lumsden driving into the box cutting between two Forest defenders’ before finding the back of the net with a right foot shot from the left-hand side that flew past Ferguson.
However, Newcastle’s lead lasted less than 60 seconds as, directly from the restart, Tove Almqvist went down United’s left and managed to thread the ball across the six-yard finding Claypole unmarked who tapped home.
Five minutes later and United were behind. A quick Forest counter attack from a United corner saw Forest into the box with Ebba Hed teeing up an unmarked Kirtsy Smith at the back post who slotted it home.
Despite being behind Wor Lasses responded well. Ferguson saving smartly from McQuade’s 20-yard right footer. McQuade going close with another drive that was just wide and then Lumsden was foiled by Ferguson.
Substitute Aoife Mannion was agonisingly close to grabbing her first Newcastle goal. She met Lumsden’s corner at the back post but her looping header fell narrowly wide with Ferguson rooted to the spot.
The Lasses were refusing to give up as they pushed forward with some neat threaded balls. The last chance coming when substitute Molly Pike sent Lumsden through, but she was again denied by Ferguson, who stood tall and palmed away her effort.
Despite seven minutes of injury time United couldn’t force an equaliser and having had 61% of the position and 8 shots on target to Forest’s 4 trooped off disappointed with the final outcome.
Not what the doctor ordered for sure but there’s a chance for a quick remedy as United will be back to League action at Gateshead International Stadium on Sunday afternoon with a 14:00pm kick-off against Charlton Athletic.
A win over the Londoners would get them back on track and lift them up the table as they look to join those at the top end of the Division in the promotion hunt for a WSL top division berth.
A third successive defeat though would mean a lot of questions to be answered as United continue to try and bed new players into the Club and system with Langley searching for her best starting XI.
Hate to say it considering the wonderful job she’s done in the last few years but I think this chase for better football, better players and promotion to the SuperLeague may be a step too far for Becky Langley.
I think the club should be looking for a higher calibre of coach, male if necessary, and someone with vast experience and knowledge
Toonarden(Quote)
She should get sacked…she isn’t a top level manager…we don’t have a sporting director our club literally lacks structure no money in the world will fix problems on the pitch if you don’t have the guts to sack a manager when they don’t produce
Henock ethiopia(Quote)
On that note eddie howe isn’t the manager that will take us to other level….he is a good coach/trainer..his nephew is our ******* scout for f sake…modern football doesn’t work like that
Henock ethiopia(Quote)