Newcastle United Women recorded their first win of the Subway Players Cup by beating local rivals Durham Women 5-1.
The Magpies came from behind for the second week in a row, but this time they had the killer touch to pick up all three points.
United’s five goals against their local rivals is the most they have scored in a single match under Tanya Oxtoby, and it was down to the brilliance of Beth Lumsden and Martha Thomas, who netted braces.
It was a scramble at the front post with Kayla Rendell unable to keep the ball from inching over the line, but the Magpies refused to go down and came roaring back almost instantly.
Thomas clawed Newcastle back level before Lumsden’s placed effort put them ahead. The Scottish international then volleyed home after half time from Lumsden’s cross before the latter then slammed home from outside the box.
Jade Pennock’s own goal wrapped up the victory for Newcastle, who were ruthless from the start.
The Magpies bossed the opening exchanges against Durham, but it was the Wildcats who landed the first major blow.
A whipped-in corner landed at the near post, and after some confusion from United and a scramble in the box, Kayla Rendell was unable to stop the ball creeping over the line.
In the immediate aftermath of Durham’s goal, they were looking to apply pressure and be more physical in the forward areas, but that left them more exposed in transitions.
United looked to move the ball quickly when Thomas was slipped through and attracted the attention of two defenders before her back heel set up the on-rushing Lumsden in the area, but her wild strike whistled wide of the far post.
It was becoming an all-action affair in favour of Newcastle with Durham motionless and appealing for offside. Lumsden pounced and raced towards the byline and looked to have teed up Kathleen McGovern from six yards out, but the number nine was inches away from making contact.
The Lasses’ pressure finally paid off after 26 minutes when Thomas latched onto a defence-splitting pass from former Durham player, Mollie Lambert. Newcastle’s top scorer raced through on goal, holding off Sarah Wilson before guiding her effort into the far corner.
The Wildcats weren’t looking to roll over after being pegged back as Lucy Watson, alone up top, managed to engineer some space on the edge of the area and forced Rendell into a low save with the ball skidding off the surface and just bending around the far post.
There was no respite for either side with Durham looking to have cleared the lines, but Thomas’ quick thinking saw her throw-in find Lumsden with space to run and cut the ball back to Jordan Nobbs, and without looking swept an effort towards goal with Anna King beaten, but trickled wide.
Newcastle finally made all of their opportunities count with just eight minutes of the first half left to play.
Nobbs strode forward and found the ever-dangerous Lumsden on the left. She cut inside onto her supposed weaker foot, and with Durham backing off, she took the invitation to curl her strike in off the far post.
United almost totally flipped the game on its head when Nobbs was picked out between the centre back and right back before her fizzed cross was glanced on by Thomas, who was only denied by the underside of the crossbar.
However, Thomas wouldn’t be denied for long, as five minutes after the break Thomas had her second of the afternoon. Lumsden spun Grace Ede out wide before delivering a perfect cross for Thomas, who lost her marker and volleyed home from the penalty spot.
United turned it up a gear in the second and Lumsden’s finish summed that up. After Nobbs picked her out on the edge of the area, she let the ball bounce and thumped it home, past King before she could react.
The afternoon continued to get better for United when Katie Bradley’s corner was sliced into her own net by Pennock for Newcastle’s fifth of the game.
Newcastle United Women: Kayla Rendell, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jordan Nobbs (Katie Bradley 65), Kathleen McGovern (Jessie Gale 65), Mollie Lambert (Hildur Antonsdóttir 83), Martha Thomas (Freya Gregory 59), Kaitlyn Torpey, Lois Joel, Gemma Evans, Aoife Mannion, Beth Lumsden (Oona Sevenius 65)
Subs not used: Soffia Kelly, Jemma Purfield, Emilia Larsson, Abbie Richardson
