Women's Preview: Saints vs Newcastle
Southampton FC Women complete a double-header weekend at St Mary's as they host Newcastle in the Barclays Women's Super League 2 on Sunday 8th February.
THE MATCH
Saints vs Newcastle
Barclays Women's Super League 2
St Mary's Stadium
Sunday 8th February, 2pm
BUY TICKETS
Saints will be looking to build on positive momentum from an entertaining 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.
Backed by an impressive support despite the tricky conditions, Simon Parker's side impressed on the pitch as they brushed aside the Eagles thanks to an Ellie Brazil hat-trick and some confident defending at the other end.
That result was just what was needed after a setback the week prior, as Saints remain fifth in the table with a four point margin between them and the promotion play-off place.
Ellie Brazil celebrates her hat-trick last week. (Photo: Chris Moorhouse)
Newcastle haven't kicked on as they may have hoped since the arrival of new manager Tanya Oxtoby, whose reign began with a win over Saints in December.
A victory over Portsmouth followed, but since then the Magpies were knocked out of the FA Cup by West Ham before they lost to Charlton and only managed a draw against bottom side Ipswich Town.
They are still in the league's promotion chasing pack though as they find themselves in sixth, one point and one place behind Saints in the WSL2 standings
PREVIOUS MEETING
Earlier this season, Saints were narrowly beaten 1-0 on a long Monday night trip to the North East, as Jordan Nobbs' header proved to be the difference.
Last season at St Mary's, the two sides played out a 2-2 draw as the Magpies rescued a point late on to cancel out a Molly Pike brace.
FAMILIAR FACES
A trio of ex-Saints in the Newcastle side became four during the January transfer window, as former loanee Ashanti Akpan made a permanent switch from Chelsea almost two weeks ago.
Sunday's clash will see the first return to St Mary's for Akpan, along with a return for Jemma Purfield, Molly Pike, and Freya Gregory.
SUNDAY'S OFFICIALS
Referee: Aimee Keir
Assistant Referee: Gareth Dunn
Assistant Referee: Richard Fullicks
Fourth Official: Stacey Pearson
MANAGER PREVIEW
Speaking after last week's impressive home result, Head Coach Simon Parker looked ahead to the Newcastle clash with the aim of continuing that positive momentum both on and off the pitch.
"I think the girls were all outstanding [against Crystal Palace]. Hopefully that confidence will now grow, they all have that belief in what they can do. We know this run of fixtures we have is against four very good teams, and that continues against Newcastle so it was massive to get the three points at the start of that.
"We hope it can help get people back here against Newcastle, the fans were outstanding and hopefully they enjoyed themselves as we really appreciated what they gave us all game."
TICKET NEWS
Tickets for this WSL2 fixture are on general sale, with family-friendly pricing and a welcoming matchday atmosphere making it a great afternoon for regular supporters and first-time visitors alike.
Tickets are priced at just £10 for Adults and £4 for Under-18s.
These tickets, as introduced last season, will still be on the Saints Tickets App once claimed.
Supporters should download the app and their tickets prior to coming to the Silverlake Stadium.
MATCHDAY INFORMATION
From a Sunday carvery in The Dell to bottomless brunch at LEVEL1, we have plenty of activations to maximise your matchday! Find out all you need to know in our dedicated Matchday Information article.
In addition, as Sunday is our Saints Foundation matchday, there will be some extra additions to our matchday build-up this week.
CAN’T MAKE IT ON SUNDAY?
This season, all league matches will be broadcast live on the Barclays Women's Super League 2 YouTube channel, with coverage starting shortly before kick-off.
There will be live updates and plenty of behind-the-scenes access on our dedicated social media accounts as always, with full match highlights to follow after the game:
