Newcastle United 1-1 Nottingham Forest | Match Report

Newcastle United Women kicked off their WSL 2 fixture on Easter Sunday in front of an eager crowd at the Gateshead International Stadium, taking on a determined Nottingham Forest side in a fixture that promised intensity from the outset, The Lasses needing a win to keep up their hopes of a promotion playoff place, the atmosphere crackled as both teams stepped onto the pitch in the sunshine, but the wind was still present after Storm Dave disrupted the region overnight.

Newcastle started brightly at the International Stadium, pushing Forest back with confident early possession. Their first real sight of goal came on seven minutes when Jordan Nobbs tried her luck from distance, her strike well‑hit but lacking the dip needed to trouble the keeper as it dropped onto the roof of the net. Despite Newcastle’s early control, a costly mistake shifted the momentum in the 16th minute. A misplaced pass from Anna Tamminen fell straight to Forest, and Alana Murphy made no mistake, calmly slotting home to give the visitors the lead against the run of play. Newcastle responded with renewed urgency, and just before the break they came close to levelling. The ball broke kindly for Morgan Gautrat inside the Forest box, and her driven effort looked destined for the corner, only for Emily Batty to produce a superb, full‑stretch save to turn it behind. Forest held on under late pressure, taking a narrow advantage into half‑time.

The Lasses pushed hard after the restart, determined to overturn the first‑half deficit, but it took time for clear chances to emerge. On 62 minutes, substitute Beth Lumsden made an instant impact, cutting in from the left before dragging her effort just wide of the far post. The pressure continued to build, and three minutes later Charlotte Wardlaw recycled possession smartly, feeding Jordan Nobbs, whose looping cross forced Emily Batty into another awkward intervention as the Forest goalkeeper palmed it away under her own crossbar.

Forest remained dangerous on the break and nearly doubled their lead in the 74th minute when a corner from the left was met firmly, only for the header to flash wide. Newcastle refused to let the game drift, and Emilia Larsson came close to levelling with seven minutes remaining, carving out space on the edge of the area and curling a well‑struck effort that Batty again did brilliantly to push aside.

Just as the match looked to be slipping away, Newcastle found their moment of quality. In the 90th minute, Emily Murphy laid the ball back to Jordan Nobbs on the edge of the box, and the midfielder struck a superb first‑time effort that flew into the net — a stunning equaliser that lifted the stadium and salvaged a deserved point.

The draw keeps Newcastle in the hunt, but with Crystal Palace winning, the gap to the playoff promotion place now stands at five points with only two games left. It’s a tough challenge, yet as long as the maths allows it, belief remains very much alive on Tyneside.

Starting XI: Tamminen, Wardlaw (Stokes 75), Mannion, Cooper, Torpey, Kelly (Joel 85), Gautrat (Pike 85), Nobbs, Sevenius (Larsson 75), Murphy, Gregory (Lumsden 59).

Subs not used: Hawkins, Purfield, Hayles.