International fixtures mean the WSL2 is paused this weekend
15:53, 27 Feb 2026Updated 15:53, 27 Feb 2026
Newcastle United’s Freya Gregory is on international duty with Scotland(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
The WSL2 takes a breather this week for the international break and, with many of the North East clubs’ players going off to represent their countries in World Cup qualifiers, our teams are down to bare bones training ready for the next important run of fixtures.
Durham lie in ninth, four points from safety. If you were to just take that at face value, you would be worried but since the turn of the year Adam Furness’ side have faced the top three, the bottom club Portsmouth and their local rivals and have made good accounts of themselves, beating Pompey, drawing with Birmingham and coming close against Charlton. Their performances have been very promising and entertaining.
The only concern would be scoring goals or rather enough goals – they should have been three up and home and dry last week in the derby but allowed Sunderland in to ultimately take the three points.
Mollie Lambert, Lucy Watson, Mariana Speckmaier and Leyla McFarland have put the ball away in recent weeks, the latter for her first for the club; the question is can they take confidence and not worry about those behind them?
McFarland, together with Sarah Robson for Northern Ireland, Tyler Toland of Ireland, and New Zealanders Michaela Foster and Hannah Blake, have all been called up by their countries.
Newcastle are in a great position, perhaps vindicating their change of management late last year. Tanya Oxtoby’s side have 26 points and have a game in hand over third place Crystal Palace, who are two points ahead and meet next month.
Apart from the Tyne-Wear derby, they meet all the other teams vying for third or second place before hosting Durham on the last day of the season.
Oxtoby’s squad has plenty missing over the break due to international duty. Anna Tamminen and Oona Sevenius (Finland), Kaitlyn Torpay (Australia), Lois Joel (Wales), Shania Hayles (Jamaica), Freya Gregory (Scotland) and Irish pair Aoife Mannion and Emily Murphy are all on their travels.
After their victory in the Wear River derby last week, Sunderland are relatively safe from any danger below, on 18 points with two games in hand.
They still to play the current top-three for the second time but coach Mel Reay will be buoyed by their resilience and fight they have shown, particularly in the second half of matches, as well as their spectacular goals!
All three goalscorers for the derby are away this break; Marissa Sheva with Ireland, Mared Griffiths, Wales, and Katie Kitching with New Zealand.
Rhiannon Roberts (Wales), Caragh Hamilton (Northern Ireland) together with Irish duo Grace Mooney and Jamie Finn make up the seven full Internationals called-up this time.
The international break does mean that Katie Kitching won’t be at the Ramside Hotel in Durham this Sunday, to pick up her Player of The Year Award from The North East Football Writers’ Association.
It will still be a great night and a big one for Sunderland as Katy Watson will be there to pick up the Young Player award for the second time in three years.
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