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'It's up to us to rise to challenge' - Gallagher speaks ahead of Durham Cestria
Written by Joseph Nelson
Newcastle United Women make the short trip to face local rivals Durham Cestria in FA Women's National League Division One North on Sunday, a fixture assistant coach Thomas Gallagher has described as "a tough test."
The Lady Magpies are looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat to Ipswich Town Women in the Vitality Women's FA Cup last weekend, when a record 2,754 fans came out to support Becky Langley's side.
But despite recent fanfare around that clash at Kingston Park, Gallagher insists the squad is now fully immersed on their next task.
"The group is focused on Sunday and our attention has turned to that game," he said. "We have enjoyed (last weekend), but we are now focused on the next job, which is to train well and win games.
"We want to grow the women's game and we want fans there every week, but we want to be able to give them the football that they deserve to watch too. We now need to focus on the game."
Durham Cestria currently occupy fourth position in the league, and Gallagher expects them to make it difficult for the Lady Magpies to come away with three points.
He said: "It will be tough, it always is. It is like a derby for us, and they have some good players who are pushing to be in Durham's first team.
"Last game (when United beat Cestria at Druid Park in October), we showed a lot of dominance and they will be looking to put that right. They'll come out trying to make it hard for us, and it is up to us to rise to that challenge."
Winger Erin Nelson will be returning to her old club for the first time since joining Langley's squad in December, while Lauren Robson also played for the Wildcats from 2018 to 2021.
But despite the pair's history with Sunday's opponents, Gallagher was quick to point out that their focus will be on helping the team, not individual accolades.
He said: "You could say that there is a point to prove, but I don't think that they are those type of people. They are focused on what we are trying to do and being the best that they can for our team. All they're focused on is contributing to our season."
A key member of Langley's staff, Gallagher outlined the preparation that will go into the fixture.
"It is just another game on our road to promotion," he said. "We have got to get the job done and deal with what they bring us on the day. We focus on how we want to play and what we want to do, not so much the opposition."
With the United Women now eliminated from the Women's FA Cup, opportunities for silverware lie with their league challenge and the County Cup.
Gallagher outlined the Lady Magpies' aspirations for the rest of the season. He said: "League is the primary focus; we all share that objective, and we work towards it every week. The County Cup is an extra piece of silverware to push for.
"We want to win this league. Every single game matters and we have got to be switched on and ready to go and get three points every weekend."
Photograph courtesy of Colin Lock/@Tyneside_NUWFC
"We want to grow the women's game and we want fans there every week, but we want to be able to give them the football that they deserve to watch too."