"It's just what we were after" - Bethany Guy reacts to win over Durham Cestria

Goals from Katie Barker and Bethany Guy, as well as a brace from Kacie Elson, sealed the emphatic win and lifted Becky Langley's side to third place in the FA National Women's League Division One North.

And it was the perfect response to their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool Feds Women seven days earlier, with the Lady Magpies having two games in hand on leaders Leeds United Ladies.

Reacting to the victory, midfielder Guy said: "It's just what we were after. After last week's defeat it was important for us to get back on track and use everything that we have been working on this week in training and analysis.

"We took our chances when we got them. We've worked all week on finishing our chances in the final third and all of that work came to fruition. Our goal difference is something that we are very proud of and to further add to this is incredibly important to us."

Guy's goal - a bullet header - was her first of the season, and the Newcastle Women's number four was thrilled to open her account for the Lady Magpies for the campaign.

"It felt good to get a goal," she added. "It's something that I know I'm capable of. It is about being in the right place at the right time and thankfully Georgia (Gibson) put it on a plate for me."

The local rivalry between Newcastle and Durham gave an extra edge to the fixture, with Guy outlining how important it was for the Lady Magpies to overcome the added challenge to emerge as winners.

She said: "We knew Durham Cestria would be a tough game for us, we know the quality that they have.

"The win was important as it was a local derby, but also because we wanted to show a reaction after last week's defeat to Liverpool Feds.

"It feels great to have bragging rights, but the most important thing was that we got three points on the board."

The match was initially meant to be an away fixture for Langley's side, but following a late venue change, it was hosted at Druid Park.

And Guy reiterated the significance of having the support of the home fans, adding: "We love playing at Druid Park in front of our fans. They play a massive part and their cheers spur us on."

The emphatic scoreline meant that Langley's squad achieved yet another clean sheet. Outlining the importance of defensive stability, Guy said: "Clean sheets are just as important as scoring goals for us. We want to be hard to break down, from the front to the back.

"Having a strong back four and Grace (Donnelly) in goal gives us a good foundation and makes everyone else's job easier. They are reliable on and off the ball, and they have consistently been strong through pre-season and at the start of this season."

Sunday's game carried further significance, as Newcastle United Women's next league fixture is not until Sunday, 14th November.

Despite the break, Guy reiterated the desire that she and the Newcastle Women's squad have to continue their momentum. She said: "It is important that we take the positives into our next games. We are focused on taking one game at a time."

Photograph courtesy of Colin Lock/@Tyneside_NUWFC