Published:

Women's Report: Saints 2-2 Newcastle

2024-25/Women's Team/Matchdays/Barclays Women's Championship/20250202 Southampton vs Newcastle/Newc_Utd_067_brg6hs

Southampton FC Women were denied their first win of 2025 by a stoppage time equaliser, as they settled for a point against Newcastle at St Mary's Stadium.

Molly Pike got Saints off to the perfect start back on home turf, as she opened the scoring after just nine minutes before doubling the lead soon after.

The visitors pulled a goal back through Shania Hayles just after the hour mark, and had their late pressure rewarded when Amy Andrews stabbed home the equaliser in stoppage time.

Still chasing their first points of the new year, and hit by injuries to a thin squad, Remi Allen made two changes to her side as Jemma Purfield was unavailable and Paige Peake took the captain's armband.

Striker Georgia Mullett made her first start since arriving on loan, whilst Tara Bourne was also restored the starting line-up.

Saints' line-up on their return to St Mary's. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)

At a sunny St. Mary’s Stadium, former Saint Freya Gregory came closest to opening the scoring in the early moments, as a ball across goal found her in space in front of Fran Stenson, but Rachel Brown was on hand to clear the ball from danger.

Play then shifted down the opposite end, with Vivienne Lia engaged in her first one-vs-one of the afternoon, but her shot was just wide.

Saints quickly grew into the game and opened the scoring through Pike, who rounded off a team move; Araya Dennis released Brown on the overlap, who squared the ball across goal for the No. 10 to tap home from close range.

To the roar of the 2598-strong home crowd in the Itchen Stand, Pike bagged her third goal of the season, and she wasn't finished there for the afternoon.

Saints kept the pressure on with link-up play between Pike and Dennis, which led to Brown pushing up into the final third but her eventual cross was cleared.

However, moments later, Saints' first goalscorer broke clear of Newcastle’s defence to chase onto Meg Collett's through ball, as she drove into plenty of space and calmly floated her shot into the far corner over the outstretched Claudia Moan.

In the first half hour, Saints continued with great determination in regaining possession, which saw Lia run through on goal again only to shoot wide.

Another attacking opportunity came and went as Mullett got her first shot of the game, but the new signing was denied by a strong block from Deanna Cooper.

Molly Pike celebrates her first goal of the game.

The game was then halted as Saints’ first substitution was enforced in the first half, as Milly Mott replaced Brown who required a lengthy injury break after a heavy landing.

As a result, there was nine minutes of additional time, in which Shania Hayles was played through on goal for the visitors but Fran Stenson stood her ground and forced her wide and out of danger.

With their two-goal lead intact at the break, Saints kept their momentum into the second half despite some initial cagey defending in the box.

The lively Lia looked towards goal again after some neat footwork to shift inside and beat Hannah Greenwood, but the eventual right-footed shot flew high and wide.

The Arsenal loanee came close again after staying onside to run onto Pike’s threaded ball, but Moan pushed the shot out and away from her near post.

With chances to kill the game off not taken, Newcastle started to ramp up the pressure and earned themselves a goal back through Hayles.

Impressive build-up play from the Magpies led to a ball to the league's joint-top scorer, who finished powerfully into the net above Stenson.

Saints remained quick on the counter, with Lia back on the ball and Pike coming close to getting a third.

Mullett then picked up the ball to launch another counter and, after running from virtually her own box to the other, she was able to feed the ball into Pike’s supporting run, but the strike agonisingly struck the crossbar.

As Newcastle came again, Stenson was forced to come off her line and deflect a shot away from Emily Murphy, before she made another important save to deny Amber-Keegan Stobbs.

Stenson was needed once again as pressure mounted further in the final 10 minutes, this time pushing a shot from Andrews onto the post and gratefully collecting the rebound off her own back as the ball spun on the floor behind her.

Another tense moment had the spectators on the edge of their seats as Rachel Furness’ cross bounced off the far post, and Gregory looked for a goal in stoppage time with a deep ball towards the far corner that Stenson brought the ball down out of the air with a strong catch.

However, Saints did lose their advantage at the death, almost mirroring their 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at St. James' Park earlier in the campaign.

After a corner was swung in and not fully cleared, despite an initial Stenson save, substitute Andrews found the back of the net for a last-minute equaliser to level the scores.

Saints: Stenson, Brown (Mott 41), Bourne, Peake (c), Collett, Peplow, Harbert, Dennis, Pike (Wilson 90), Lia, Mullett (Palmer 77).

Subs not used: Haaland, Milne, Roberts, Mallon, Matthews, Udebhulu.

Goals: Pike 9, 19.

Newcastle: Moan, Stokes, Stobbs (c), Hayles (Lumsden 87), Barker (Andrews 46), Gregory, Cooper (Greenwood 34), McQuade (Furness 46), Joel (Murphy 46), Wardlaw, Cataldo.

Subs not used: Donnelly, Hawkins, Sibley, Chapman.

Goals: Hayles 62, Andrews 90+4.

Referee: Jade Wardle.

Attendance: 2598.