By Mark Stutt
Mark Stutt reviews the latest match between Newcastle and Ipswich Town women’s teams.
Match details:
- 01/02/2026: NUWFC v ITWFC – Barclays Women’s Super League 2
- NUWFC 1 – ITWFC 1 (HT 1 – 1)
- Venue: Gateshead International Stadium (GIS)
- Attendance: 1,988
- Player of the Match: Anna Tamminen*
I hadn’t been to a Lasses’ match in over two months, frozen pitches, winter breaks and life getting in the way, so I was really looking forward to this game. I spotted two Magpies and the Metro was just pulling into North Shields station as I arrived, so all boded well for the day: or so I thought.
Ipswich had been promoted from the National League South (Tier 3) as Champions, but the Tractor Girls have struggled this season; before this match they were bottom with 6 points and -21 GD. Lasses fans were confident going into the game following a solid second half performance against Charlton in the last match (despite losing 2-1) who are running away with this league.
Before the game Cooper was interviewed; she’s been a miss at centre half following a knee injury, however she wasn’t in a brace so hopefully that’s a positive sign. Another positive appearance was the ‘Lesser Spotted Gautrat’ who was at the match. Rumours have swirled amongst fans as to whether she was still an NUWFC player or not and any information gleaned from her social media posts (she appears to like windows…) as to her location was eagerly reported back.
Less positive was Boddy not being in the squad again; no information is provided on player injuries to the fans, and she has been really unlucky with injuries; only nine appearances this year with 350 minutes played (compared to Stokes with 19 appearances and >1300 minutes).
The Lasses lined up with Tamminen in goal; Wardlaw, Mannion, Torpey and Purfield in defence; McQuade, Pike and Nobbs in midfield; with a forward line of Gregory, Lumsden and Murphy.
The fans confidence seemed well placed as from the kick-off the Lasses swarmed forward and overwhelmed the Tractor Girls, the black & white shirts were camped in their opponents 18 yard box but the goal on 8’ was scored from over 25 yards out by the touchline.
Lumsden, on her 50th appearance for the club, received the ball from Nobbs, looked up and chipped the ball towards goal; whether she meant it or not (she looked up and possibly saw the keeper out of position) the ball faded beautifully left to right and floated over the keeper’s outstretched hand. 1-0 to the Lasses and surely it would be a matter of how many they could score?
Most of the Lasses attacks were coming down their right with Wardlaw and Lumsden linking up really well. The team’s interplay was precise and positive, and an aggressive press was not letting Ipswich get out of their half.
The first of three injuries to Ipswich players (none from Newcastle fouls) in the space of about ten minutes disrupted the fluid football of the Lasses. Whether all were deliberate is up for debate (in fairness the first Ipswich player injured was subbed), but that and their low block (aka parking the bus) saw Newcastle’s frustration levels rising. A half-hearted shout for a penalty by Murphy was optimistic, her turn and shot was saved moments later. Two more of the ‘injuries’ followed and a loud cheer came from home fans when an Ipswich player took a ball to the face but got up and carried on.
Experienced fans of Newcastle know that no matter how one-sided a game can be, the football gods take delight in ‘raining on our parade’ and so it came to pass. An error by the linesman (OK, assistant referee in contemporary parlance) saw Ipswich awarded a throw in, the Lasses seemed to stop to complain and let Ipswich run straight through midfield. Peskett received the ball outside the Lasses box and an impressive piece of skill ‘sat’ Torpey (who’d had a good game up to this point) down and the shot under Tamminen was unsavable: 1-1.
Yes, there was an error by the official, yes Ipswich were disrupting play with ‘injuries’ and yes, a low block and nicking a draw was their game plan, but the Lasses should expect this and respond in-game. Playing to the whistle and reacting only to what you can control are pretty fundamental aspects of the game.
Ten minutes of extra time came and went with no real threat to the Ipswich goal and the whistle went for half time. The match officials were heartily booed by the home fans; as I’ve said before, the standard of officials at this level leaves a lot to be desired. They need to invest in training for and professionalising of the roles.
A half-time substitution saw Joel replace McQuade and the expectation was that the Lasses would come out ‘all guns blazing’ just as they had started the first half. My notes indicated ‘nothing of note’ for the first 20 minutes! Oxtoby had seen enough, and a triple substitution saw Torpey, Murphy and Gregory replaced by Stokes, Hayles and Sevenius respectively.
Stokes softly chipped the ball towards their goal for a comfortable save by the keeper on 72’. Soon after Lumsden made way for Larsson a ‘…striker from Sweden, she wears the number 14 and she plays in attack’! The song was too good not to use again, as she is, she does and, well she does. Her debut was marked by some promising off-the-ball movement and some good link-up play which bodes well for the future.
The heavy pitch was reproducing its own old school ‘heat map’ of the where the action was and seemed to suit the Tractor Girls more than the Lasses. The Newcastle players sensed that a draw really wasn’t good enough if they wanted to remain in with a shout of a promotion place and it all got a bit frantic towards the end of normal time and into the five minutes of extra time. On 84’ Nobbs had blazed a ball well over the bar when set up nicely by Stokes, she should have at least troubled the keeper.
The 93rd minute almost sealed a calamitous day, with the Lasses being caught on the break and an Ipswich player sent through on goal with only Tamminen to beat. Thankfully she lived up to her nickname – ‘The Finnish Wall’ and a superb save prevented an embarrassing loss to the team bottom of the league.
In the cold light of day, the result was doubly frustrating dropping the Lasses to sixth place, six points of the play-off place and surely puts an end to any chance of an automatic promotion place. There were too many sideways or backwards passes and despite their over 70% possession and 20 shots (five on target) they couldn’t get through Ipswich’s low block.
I feel another season in WSL2 beckons and perhaps that’s no bad thing. Four of the five teams above them have previously been in WSL1 and this is only the Lasses second season at this level. Many teams (e.g. Durham and the mackems) have spent years in Tier 2, it’s an arguably more competitive league than WSL1 and the dreaded C-word -consolidation (this season) may be beneficial.
The next match see the Lasses back down on the south coast to try and do the double over Southampton; currently one place and one point better off, although the Lasses do have a game in hand. That was a result of the home match v Birmingham being postponed due to a frozen pitch and has now been rescheduled to Wednesday 18 March.
A frustrating day at the GIS all-round. Oxtoby will no doubt be explaining a few home truths to the Lasses and hopefully they’ll respond in kind. Thank you for reading this report, feedback is always welcome and thanks to Paul for supplying some photos.
Keep on keeping on, and as ever –
Howay the Lasses!
*Mention in despatches for Lumsden and her ‘did she mean it’ goal, but Tamminen prevented frustration becoming annoyance.
Annual Subscription (4 Issues / 2026)
