After another lengthy lay-off, Newcastle United Women were back in action on Sunday when they travelled to Ashton Gate to take on a Bristol City side who were playing top flight football two seasons ago.
Since both sides found themselves in the same division last season, the West Country side have proven to be difficult opponents.
Last season’s trip to the Robins saw their most disappointing performance of the season to lose 2-0, while a pre-season reverse on the eve of this campaign perhaps pointed to the difficulties ahead.
The Lasses manager Tanya Oxtoby made three changes from the last game against Nottingham Forest. Demi Stokes and Jemma Purfield came back into the defence in place of Charlotte Wardlaw and Kaitlyn Torpey.
While Beth Lumsden was also restored to the line up ahead of Finnish international Oona Sevenius.
Match Report
Newcastle United Women, boosted by a large vocal away following, made a strong start and came close to taking the lead inside the opening five minutes of the contest. Emily Murphy was sent down the wing before cutting into the box.
However, her ball back to Jordan Nobbs was disappointing and the former England international was unable to get any power in her effort to test Robins goalie Lauren Brzykcy.
The Lady Mags continued that good early form and did eventually get a much deserved breakthrough goal inside the 20 minute mark. Freya Gregory’s initial cross was cleared only as far as Nobbs on the edge of the area and a clever deft touch took the ball past Sophie Ingle in the Bristol defence, before playing in Beth Lumsden to fire into the top corner for her fifth league goal of the season.
Newcastle United Women had chances to double their lead before half time. Murphy took a shot on the turn only to see her effort deflected over the bar. Then from the resulting corner, Gregory exchanged passes with Nobbs before the Stockton-born midfielder saw her low drive drift wide into the side netting.
However, despite the visitors being the better side throughout the half, as so often has happened this season the hosts snatched an unexpected equaliser before the half time whistle. Bristol’s Ella Powell sent a long ball forward which played in Rio Hardy to execute a composed close range finish past United’s number 1 Anna Tamminen.
Newcastle started the second half much like they had the first and went looking to re-establish their lead. Beth Lumsden was played in by an inch perfect pass from Nobbs, however the flying winger dubbed the ‘Mackem Slayer’ last season was unable to direct her shot below the crossbar. Nobbs would play in Lumsden again soon after. However, a good recovery from Robins defender Gemma Lawley, forced Lumsden off balance and Brzykcy was able to gather in a routine save.
The Lasses continued to dominate in the second half and almost restored their lead following a hacked clearance from the hosts which saw the ball land perfectly to Lumsden. Her effort forced a save from Brzykcy but the power in the shot saw it spin on the line but not quite cross it.
It was perhaps at that moment we realised it wasn’t going to be Newcastle’s day. Bristol went close to snatching it following a fast counter-attack from a wasted free kick. Lexi Lloyd-Smith was played in one-on-one against Tamminen, who did well to rush off her line before putting her body on the line to smother the ball with a low save.
The home side continued to grow into the game following that chance and looked particularly dangerous on the break. They created a three-on-one chance soon after with Lloyd Smith finding her captain Emily Syme in the area. However, she was denied by another close range save from the Finnish Wall that is Anna Tamminen, before on-loan right back Jorja Fox, on as a substitute for her first appearance in months, put in a last-ditch tackle to stop Maria Farrugia on the rebound.
Still the chances kept arriving and were squandered. Lloyd Smith sent in a perfect cross to the back post for Gale to head home unmarked into what was an empty net, but somehow she headed wide two yards from goal.
But Gale wouldn’t be denied deep into stoppage time as the Robins stole a 99th minute winner. Gale was able to finish from close range this time after Newcastle’s defence were unable to deal with a bouncing ball in the area. It was just a fourth league defeat of the season for Newcastle, two less than second-placed Birmingham City!
Newcastle United: Anna Tamminen, Demi Stokes (c), Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield (Jorja Fox 77), Morgan Gautrat, Emma Kelly (Lois Joel 77), Freya Gregory, Deanna Cooper, Aoife Mannion, Beth Lumsden (Oona Sevenius 88), Emily Murphy (Emilia Larsson 66).
Subs not used: Hannah Hawkins, Shania Hayles, Małgorzata Grec, Ashanti Akpan.
Bristol City: Lauren Brzykcy, Ella Powell, Oliwia Woś (Sille Struck 76), Gemma Lawley, Mari Ward, Sophie Ingle, Marine Dafeur (Vera Jones 88), Katie Robinson (Maria Farrugia 66), Emily Syme (c), Rio Hardy (Jessie Gale 76), Lexi Lloyd-Smith.
Subs not used: Fran Bentley (GK), Camila Sáez, Harley Bennett, Esther Morgan, Issi Hebard.
Where that leaves NUFC
Newcastle United can’t be promoted as they can’t finish top three. The top two getting automatic promotion and then whoever finishes third goes into a play-off against the top tier bottom team.
United slipped to fifth in the table behind opponents Bristol City with 33 points. Automatic promotion will see any two from the three of Charlton, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace with the odd team slipping into a play-off with WSL 1 bottom side Leicester City.
Newcastle can finish anywhere between fourth and seventh depending on results on the final day of the season.
What’s coming up
The Lasses bring the curtain down on the 2025-26 campaign this coming Saturday at home to Durham.