Since their last public outing at home in Atletico Madrid in the Sela Cup, Newcastle United women have been busy on and next to the field.
A 2-0 reverse behind closed doors at Ashton Gate against Bristol City Last week was the last rehearsal for one side with promotion on their heads.
They have also added several new players who bring their team to the 25 limit.
The Finnish internationals Anna Tamminen and Oona Sevenius have arrived to offer competition in goal and at the front respectively, with the latter scored for her country during Euro 2025.
Newcastle United Women also announced a trio of loan signs with the Dutch keeper Feme Liefting and Young Right Back Jorja Fox who came in from Chelsea. While Morgan Gautrat arrives from Orlando Pride in America, he has won the World Cup twice with Team USA.
Last season Newcastle finished 5th in the championship. But since then the second layer of women has experienced something of a revision. Again near WSL 2, with two automatic promotional places now for the taking. There is also potential for a third promotion place, because the third placed team will get the bottom of WSL 1 in a play-off, which means that there is no better time for Newcastle to try to achieve promotion.
In their first game of the season, the Lady Mags traveled to the city grounds to take a Nottingham Forest that was newly promoted in the summer and looked forward to their first game ever at this level. They too had been busy during the low season and built their own way.
Newcastle mentioned a 3-5-2 formation, as was the case during the preseason. Claudia Moan held her place in goal, without other keepers called on the couch. Aoife Mannion, made her competitive debut for the club, alongside Captain Deanna Cooper and Charlotte Wardlow in a rear three. With a summer signature, Jordan Nobbs, injured, Morgan Gautrat made her debut in a defensive midfield role, with Emma Kelly and debutant Molly Pike just before her. Beth Lumsden and Freya Gregory played roll back in a deeper Wing, while Emily Murphy collaborated from last season’s top scorer Shania Hayles.
Match report
Newcastle made a winning start of their 2025-26 WSL 2-season and could not have been happier with the way they started the game, continue in the 7th minute. Ireland International Murphy went home on the back post of Beth Lumsden Hoek to use their season.
Shortly after Murphy tried to play in Hayles who was refused by house goalkeeper Emily Batty. Forest, however, responded well, because they had a period of 15 minutes in which they asked many questions to United. Striker Aimee Clayypole shot wide in turn, before Freya Thomas saw her snapshots away.
But after that pressure to arouse, Newcastle came strong again. Emma Kelly took a powerful ride from the bottom of the bar remotely in the 25th minute after Molly Pike had directed a Freya Gregory cross on her path.
Gregory, a signing from January from Aston Villa, seemed to thrive in her broad position on the left while sending a series of crosses to the area.
Moments later, the welding doubled their advantage. The pace of Hayles on the left caused the problems with the forest -like backline, where the Jamaica International was able to cut the ball back from the name rule for Pike to find the net on the distant pole.
Forest, however, ended strongly and Cooper was forced to make a brave header of the powerful strike of Amy Rodgers. The home team continued that positive game in the second half and in combination with applying a change, allowing the impressive Spanish player Nahikari Garcia to take a goal. Kirsty Smith, who looked clear in the first half and played the back of the net from the corner of Chloe Mustaki.
Forest continued to stack the pressure on the defense of Newcastle, while the Canadian international Deanne Rose and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah had both chances. The best chance of Newcastle was half through a Beth Lumsden-free kick from the edge of the area. However, her powerful effort was claimed by Batty.
Both parties then made a flurry of substitutions that seemed to kill part of the momentum out of the game. But the defensive determination of Newcastle turned out to be the difference and they could close the game and collect the much -needed three points to open their season in the best possible way.
Newcastle United: Claudia Moan, Aoife Mannion, Deanna Cooper (C), Charlotte Wardlaw, Beth Lumsden (Lia Cataldo 86), Morgan Gauutrat, Emma Kelly (Jasmine McQuade 60), Molly Pike (Lois Joel 60), Freyphory, Emily, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory ( 69).
Subs not used: Małgorzata Greec, Jorja Fox, Amelia Freeman.
Nottingham Forest: Emily Batty, Kirsty Smith (Caragh Hamilton 68), Jessie Stapleton, Georgia Brougham, Chloe Mustaki (Mollie Green 78), Amy Rodgers, Freya Thomas, Hollie OldeP (Vivienne Liane) 46), Deante (Rachel Rowe 62), Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah.
Subs not used: Sophia Poor, Nat Johnson, Charlie Wellings, Issy Hobson.
Where that leaves NAFC
The magpies were supported by an impressive traveling support from around 200 fans and went on the field with their blue third kit.
Of their 10 summer signs, four made their debut; Aoife Mannion, Morgan Gautrat and Molly Pike all started with Oona Sevenius in the second half. Sevenius seems to be a solid fan favorite after the fans have fans with her own song after the last whistle and the Finnish striker who stores the affection. Two more players; Małgorzata Grec and Jorja Fox remained on the couch as unused subs. Both new goalkeepers were not named after the team, while Jordan Nobbs and Jemma Purfield were both not available due to injury.
Newcastle is one of the six teams that were bound on three points after the first round of competitions after local Rivals Sunderland and Durham both won on the road and promotion -rivals Birmingham City won a convincing victory over Bristol City. Crystal Palace, of whom is also expected to be at the top, lost an impressive victory over newly promoted Ipswich in the South London derby of Charlton and Southampton.
What’s coming
Next is their first home game against Sheffield United in Gateeshead International Stadium next weekend (2 pm kick-off Sunday September 14). It will be the first time Lady Mags Played at that location since a cup with Stoke City in December 2023 and the first since the club announced their permanent relocation from Kingston Park.
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