SAWFC v NUWFC – 29/3/26 Barclays Women’s Super League 2
(HT 1 – 0)
Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Att: 10,156
PoTM: Sevenius
Pre-match I went into the new Sheepfolds Stables bar between the end of the new footbridge and the SoL (a nice bar to be fair) to meet up with friends. Hellie and Varley (both former NUWFC players) were there, as well as a lot of Newcastle fans. I took a photo of the inside to show both sets of fans mixing well but struggled to find many in red & white in attendance!
Paul had done a ‘best case v worst case’ scenario depending on results. This was to be confirmed at the end of the match. We chatted to some Sunderland fans in another bar in the complex and it was pleasant not to have the undercurrent of hostility that marks the men’s derby (well, that was until we got into the ground – some fans had been sworn at outside apparently).
Inside, the lack of staff in the away fans corner led to huge queues and surprise at the prices (‘£2.50 for water!’ – I said I’d raise it Emma!). I was sat right at the back of the corner along with approximately 2000 Newcastle fans. The home supporters were in the stand opposite the dugouts and looked a lot less than the 8000 the combined attendance figure suggested. Maybe the free tickets weren’t all taken up? There was no printed programme available.
Some Wor Flag wannabes (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and all that) were attempting to raise their rabid moggy tifo but it ended up limp, saggy and was abandoned, collapsed in the stands. The pettiness continued with ‘Visitors’ on the scoreboard which prompted chants of ‘Hello, hello, we are the visitors’.
The team had Tamminem in goal and what appeared to be a back five with Wardlaw, Cooper, Mannion, Purfield and Gregory; leaving Kelly, Nobbs and Pike in midfield with Murphy and Hayles up front.
Wor Lasses started the brighter of the two teams and seemed very much ‘up for it’. Wardlaw received a lot of the ball and was pushing high into the opposition half. In the fourth minute a Newcastle corner was headed just over by Purfield and Murphy’s ball into Hayles was just behind her.
With lots of possession and probing down both flanks it was completely against the run of play when Sunderland took the lead with their #7 Watson converting a long ball into the box on 17’. Wor Lasses seemed to lose their way following this, although a corner on 24’ saw an attempt headed off the line. Newcastle were getting bogged down in midfield with the mackems looking to hit on the break. The half ended with Newcastle having four corners in a row, the last just missing the far corner direct from the corner kick.
Wardlaw, who had went down off the ball (with the physios taking a long time to realise and head over to her) at the end of the first half, was replaced at half time by Torpey, recently returned from the Asian Women’s Cup final with Australia.
The start of the second half, not helped by a howling wind and lots of rubbish blowing round the pitch, was a scrappy affair with a lack balls into the forwards and Hayles in particular seemingly incapable or unwilling to chase balls or pressure their defenders. The #9 has generated a lot of frustration amongst fans who can’t see on the pitch what she must offer in training to get a start, a contrast to her goal scoring feats of last season. On 66’ Oxtoby had seen enough and Hayles was hooked for Lumsden and Purfield for Sevenius leading to a change in formation.
The subs’ impact and formation change was immediate, with Wor Lasses being much more positive in and out of possession. The Mackem keeper realising momentum had swung in Newcastle’s favour went down ‘injured’ allowing a tactical chat from their manager and was then booked for time wasting on her ‘recovery’. Minutes later on 75’, Newcastle had the ball in the next courtesy of Murphy, following a wonderful turn in the box and cross by Torpey, cue delight amongst the away fans followed by despair as it was ruled out for ‘offside’.
Watching the replay, Murphy was not offside and what could be a costly decision went against Newcastle. It must be very frustrating for the professional players to have their abilities let down by amateur officials. I’ve said it before, that at this level and if the league want the game to improve, officials need to be full time with better training. It doesn’t just affect one team.
However, six minutes later the ball was in the mackems’ net again, and this time the goal stood. Nobbs fired a ball into the box, Lumsden got a slight touch, but it went through to Sevenius who span on the spot and hit a daisy cutter through a forest of legs and brought Wor Lasses level.
The game got lively after this. Kelly (who is still working on match fitness) was replaced by Gautrat. Kelly who had played well again, came off on the opposite side from the dug outs and walked past applauding the Newcastle fans and was met with the ‘Kelly de Bruyne’ song. Players were snapping into tackles and the new forward line looked a threat every time they got the ball.
On 88’ Sevenius took a quick throw out up field and nearly sent Murphy and Lumsden away on the break. Sunderland were getting desperate and more fouls by them followed. On 90’ Sevenius came for a ball and was not taking any prisoners clattering Mannion and a Sunderland player on her way to claiming it. The mackem lass, Griffiths, stayed down and was subbed as soon as she gingerly regained her feet.
Four minutes of extra time, plus a bit more for the late substitution, didn’t see either team threaten the goalies and the ref blew on a draw, that flattered the home team. Wor Lasses dominated the stats, except for the most important one. Of the twelve shots they had, only two were on target revealing a season long issue with the lack of a reliable goal scorer, Hayles having sadly dropped off completely. Simone Charley was brought in in January to try and address this, but (again story of the season) got injured not long after she signed!
The away fans were left rueing opportunities across the season where points had been dropped against teams that with all due respect they should have beaten – Sheffield away, Ipswich at home etc. Taking four points from Sunderland was OK, but it should have been six.
A note about certain members of both sets of fans who had obviously got a ticket just because it was a derby and had never set foot in a ground to watch the women play. They goaded each other with swearing (several mackems were ejected from their seats), but it’s not a thing in the women’s game and I did mention to the youth sitting next to me that neither team they were watching were in the Premier League nor was Anthony Gordon actually on the pitch. I doubt he or his mates could name a single player on the pitch – sad and disrespectful to the team actually playing.
Player of the Match must go to Sevenius for the goal but Mention in Despatches to Wardlaw, who was great going forward and in defence until her injury and Kelly for looking after the midfield. The next game is on Easter Sunday against Forest and should be a good game. If you’re not full of hot cross buns or chocolate eggs get yourself along. There are only three games left of this season and the Lasses still have a chance of making a promotion spot. So as ever keep on keeping on, and –
Howay the Lasses!
Mark Stutt
