Women's Report: Newcastle 1-1 Saints
Southampton FC Women were denied an impressive victory at St. James' Park by a late equaliser as they drew 1-1 with Newcastle in the Barclays Women's Championship.
Freya Gregory got the afternoon off to a perfect start with a calm finish after winning the ball from Newcastle’s goalkeeper.
However, despite managing the game well, Saints were dealt a stoppage time blow when Deanna Cooper poked home the equaliser inside a crowded penalty area.
There was just one change to the Saints side on their trip North, as Milly Mott came back into the starting line-up in place of Rachel Brown in defence.
Saints at St. James' Park.
With an 11,620-strong attendance at the iconic St. James’ Park, it was Saints who made the perfect start and stunned the lively Geordie crowd.
As Newcastle’s goalkeeper Claudia Moan took her time in possession, Freya Gregory nipped in and won the ball before she calmly rolled into an empty net to open the scoring in the seventh minute.
Just three minutes later, it was almost two for Saints when Molly Pike charged forward and attempted an audacious lob from the right wing, which was tipped onto the crossbar at full stretch by Moan.
The game then settled for a period, with the hosts levelling out the possession in spells before they hit the crossbar themselves with Katie Barker’s effort from distance.
Saints responded and forced themselves back into control on the half hour mark when Gregory rifled in an angled shot that was tipped away, before Rachel Rowe’s rebounded effort was blocked.
Rowe went close again moments later as she cut in from the left and drilled a low shot into Moan’s diving clutches.
Freya Gregory celebrates the opener. (Photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
The hosts had a couple of half chances before the break; Shania Hayles danced through the Saints defence but had her shot blocked and the loose ball was eventually cleared.
Saints led at half time, but the hosts came out of the blocks looking for a response; Amber Keegan-Stobbs curled a shot wide from the edge of the area just after the hour mark.
Gregory continued to cause problems at the other end however, when she won the ball from the defence but saw her dangerous cross pushed just out of reach of the onrushing Aimee Palmer.
Chances were still at a premium for Newcastle as Saints stayed stubborn, but Fran Stenson was made to work when she impressively tipped away Jasmine McQuade’s dipping shot.
Ex-Saint Beth Lumsden wriggled free in the area but saw her shot trickle past the post as the pressure increased in the closing stages.
A diving save from Stenson kept out a snapshot in the area as Saints appeared to have weathered the storm until the dying minutes of eight added on.
After a header straight at Stenson, and a penalty appeal waved away, Newcastle won a 99th minute corner that was blocked and half cleared multiple times by the Saints defence, before a kind bounce saw Deanna Cooper poke home the equaliser.
The draw sees Saints stay unbeaten in three games since the last international break, but they will rue two late equalisers in consecutive matches that sees them drop to sixth in the table.
Newcastle: Moan, Stokes, Keegan-Stobbs (c), Hayles (Andrews 61), Barker, Cooper, Sibley, McQuade (Haywood 84), Joel (Boddy 61), Potts (Watt 30), Lumsden.
Subs not used: Donnelly, Kelly, Gibson, Elson, Greenwood.
Goals: Cooper 90+9.
Yellow Cards: McQuade 70.
Saints: Stenson, Collett, Bourne, Mott, Purfield (c), Peplow (Griffiths 87), Palmer (Brown 79), Kendall, Rowe, Gregory (Thompson 90), Pike.
Subs not used: Rendell, Haaland, Peake, Nohasiarisoa, Watson.
Goals: Gregory 7.
Yellow cards: Peplow 54.
Referee: Lauren Whiteman.
Attendance: 11,620.
