Newcastle United Women’s 100% win rate at St James’ Park lives on as they claimed a 4-3 win on penalties against AC Milan in the first of two SELA Weekender matches on the day, following a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.
Preparing for their first campaign in the Barclays Women’s Championship, Becky Langley’s Lasses raced into the lead within the opening fifteen minutes through an Elysia Boddy stunner – but the visitors’ international pedigree soon showed, as the Rossonere had seized the upper hand by the time the half-hour mark rolled around.
Amy Andrews restored parity in the dying minutes, with two missed efforts from the visitors in the shootout handing victory to the hosts.
Newcastle United’s next outing will see them face London City Lionesses in the opening round of league action, while AC Milan now turn their attention to their Joan Gamper Invitational clash with Barcelona in just under a fortnight.
As it happened
Despite not appearing entirely convincing at the back, Saturday’s hosts fashioned the better of the early chances at St James’ Park. The visiting defence was exposed within the opening ten minutes as Amy Andrews sought to pick out Katie Barker – and while that move didn’t pay off, Rachael Furness was quick to test the Italians once more as the forced Laura Giuliani into a routine save.
But just as they appeared to be gaining a foothold in the game, the Lasses let slip: Gloria Marinelli looked destined to weave through the hosts’ back line, before a tame Neurone Bahlouli forced Hannah Hawkins into action.
They’d not care too much though. Just as the quarter-hour mark grew nearer, Elysia Boddy began to combine well with Demi Stokes and Shania Hayles on the left; the latter playing a one-two with the midfielder, allowing her to curl a magnificent effort over the head of Giuliani and into the back of the net.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe headlines wrote themselves: newly-promoted Newcastle United, having played in the third tier of English football just a handful of months ago, were leading AC Milan – a club with recent experience in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and one that has piqued the interest of one of the continent’s most in-demand coaches.
But Geordie hearts were swiftly shattered when Nikola Karczweska restored parity six minutes later, with sloppy defending from the Lasses gifting their visitors a lifeline as the Polish forward slammed a Gloria Marinelli cross into an open goal.
Marinelli should really have added a goal of her own to the tally seconds later, but just ten minutes on from Boddy’s opener, the Rossonere had gained control in Newcastle. Charlotte Potts was dispossessed deep in her own half, with Evelyn Ijeh receiving the ball before teeing up Valentina Cernoia for one of the easiest finishes she’ll ever have to convert.
Chances from that point on, however, were few and far between. When Langley’s side did progress with impetus, referee Ade Soneye seemed programme to blow for a foil against them. Still, they did not waver and remained steadfast in their mission: forcing a result against a side that finished sixth in the Serie A Femminile last term.
Come 14:54, with just three minutes remaining on the matchday clock before a penalty shootout would be required to decide their fate, Newcastle United did the unthinkable. Andrews, latching onto loose ball, slotted past substitute Noemi Fedele – and after the second half had fallen into something of a lull, there was a well-founded sense of belief, and urgency, in St James’ Park.
A further 7 minutes of stoppage time could not decide a winner – and with the stadium beginning to fill up ahead of the men’s 4pm scheduled kick-off, now less than an hour away at this point, the Lasses would be buoyed by a sizeable home crowd as the match went to a shootout.
AC Milan saw their second effort, taken by Marta Mascarello, denied by Hawkins; a flawless shootout from the hosts ensured that the Lasses’ unbeaten record at St James’ Park would remain unbeaten, with confirmation coming as Evelyn Ijah struck the crossbar.
For Becky Langley’s side, there is plenty to take from an impressive performance against a side with significant European campaign and one thing is now clear: Newcastle United Women are not in the Championship just to make up numbers.
The lineups
NEW: Hawkins; Stokes, Potts, Cooper, Stobbs, Cataldo; Furness, Boddy; Hayles, Andrews, Barker
ACM: Giuliani; Piga, Cernoia, Sorelli, Arrigoni; Mesjasz, Ijeh, Soffia; Bahlouli, Karczewska, Marinelli
