Newcastle United weekend goes from bad to worse as Sunderland get the last laugh
Newcastle United’s weekend went from bad to worse as a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa was followed up by a women’s derby defeat to Sunderland.
Newcastle United Women suffered a narrow 1-0 Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland at the Gateshead International Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After a perfect start to their Women’s Super League 2 season, the Lady Magpies hosted rivals Sunderland in the Subway Player’s Cup in front of a crowd of 2,773.
Katie Kitching scored the only goal of the game for Sunderland in the first half while Newcastle’s Martha Thomas saw a 65th-minute penalty saved by Noa Schumacher.
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Sunderland Women’s manager Mel Reay said: “I thought it was a dubious penalty, mind. I thought Noa got the ball completely, so a little bit of karma there that she’s actually made the save.
“Great save, really low down in the corner which suits an athletic goalkeeper like Noa Schumacher so I’m delighted she’s had this moment.”
While Newcastle have won all five of their league matches, their two defeats so far this season have come in the Player’s Cup league phase to Aston Villa and now Sunderland. Their next match is against Everton Women in the same competition at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Sunderland, who sit second in the WSL 2 behind Newcastle with four wins and a draw, are back in league action at Ipswich Town on Sunday.
As the Newcastle and Sunderland men’s teams struggle in the Premier League, the women’s derby win gives the Wearsiders a small dose of bragging rights ahead of the men’s Premier League meeting at St James’ Park in early December.
Newcastle United Women: Rendell, Wardlow, Nobbs, Purfield, Lambert (McGovern 59), Antonsdóttir (Gregory 60), Thomas, Bradley (Joel 81), Mannion, Lumsden (Kiernan 67), McLaughlan.
Unused: Tamminen, Németh, Sevenius, Evans, Gale.
Sunderland Women: Schumacher, Bose, Corbyn, Scarr (Hughes 81), Kitching (Missipo 70), Fenton, Dent (Franssi 46), Sheva, Westrup, Paxton, Parker (Watson 46).
Unused: Stenson, Bourne, Brown, Cassap, Laplacette.