IF the first professional derby between Newcastle Women and Sunderland in October was a rebirth for the women’s game in the North East, today’s spectacle at St James’ Park was its coming of age.
Crunching challenges, sendings off, late drama. Newcastle had arrived in professional women’s game well and truly. This was perhaps their biggest day yet.
A league record 38,502 took in the action as Shania Hayles kept bragging rights on Tyneside for the second time this season.
Fan parks, full stands and pre-match entertainment gave a glimpse into what the ownership’s ambitious future for the club might look like if they make it to the Women’s Super League. A big, loud, community. And it rose to roar for derby-day super sub Hayles.
(Image: The Northern Echo) Her strike with 12 minutes to play was the difference on the pitch, but the 38,000-strong crowd played their part too.
Geordies were still filing into the stadium – such was the demand for tickets for this match – when the first big chance of the game fell to Beth Lumsden after being sent through by Demi Stokes. But an oncoming Demi Lambourne was equal to the effort.
A frenetic opening 10 minutes gave way to a more settled rhythm as the first half progressed with the visitors from Wearside looking to break up the play and counter. Two Lumsden freekicks clattered the wall but the bite of the derby restricted chances with the game broken up by a handful of midfield fouls.
In the 33rd minute a six-yard box scramble with strikes first from Rachel Furness, then from Amber Keegan-Stobbs forced Lambourne into some decent saves. With Newcastle growing in confidence, the resulting corner found its way to Stokes via a cross-shot from the right but her header looped over the far corner.
Just before half-time Furness drove towards the box and hit one from 25 yards but Lambourne comfortably held it.
Something new for half-time entertainment – unseen for seven decades – as the Carabao Cup made its homecoming. To St James’ Park. Darren Eales and club legend Bob Moncur showing off the trophy to the crowds in a display of synergy between the Toon’s two senior sides. As fans patiently await the ‘parade’ next weekend, it is slowly sinking in for many that this is a club with a major honour.
The second half started slower than the first, with Newcastle attacking the Gallowgate in a bid to break the deadlock.
Both sides traded long-distance strikes over the bar in the opening 20 minutes with Newcastle still controlling possession and Sunderland looking to break things up. The Black Cats will have been the happier side at half-time, but they needed to fashion chances to match their resilience.
In the 68th minute, Lumsden broke down the left and cut the ball back looking to find Emily Murphy. Lambourne spilled the pass but was able to reclaim – to the relief of travelling fans and the frustration of the tens of thousands of Geordies.
The introduction of Hayles with 20 minutes to play livened up a forward line that had began to tire and Newcastle – who were attacking down the hill – were more strident in their forward play.
And then St James’ erupted.
Murphy drove on the break and Hayles peeled off her marker to the right side of the box. A well-timed ball found the Jamaican forward who cut onto her left and hammered the ball into the near post leaving Lambourne stranded.
It was typical of Murphy’s selflessness – she was everywhere over the course of the match, pressing, tracking back, making space.
A victory for Newcastle felt inevitable. A mood shift on Tyneside accompanied by the League Cup’s arrival has permeated all levels of the club. This is a club hell-bent on winning.
Perhaps too much as head coach Becky Langley was shown a red card for holding onto the ball in stoppage time.
But this was always going to be Newcastle’s day.
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As the clock ran out and nearly 40,000 rose to their feet, Newcastle had won their second Tyne-Wear derby of the league campaign and while they won’t go up this season, it is a standard the club will be looking to meet time and time again.
Newcastle United: Moan, Stokes, Keegan-Stobbs, Gregory, Cooper, Furness, McQuade, Wardlaw, Lumsden, Murphy, Cataldo
Sunderland: Lambourne, Brown, Goddard, Westrup, Stapleton, Corbyn, Fenton, Flannery, Kitching, Scarr, Watson
