This Week's Opposition: Newcastle United Women

Reeling off the back of an emphatic 7-0 victory over Chatham Town last Sunday, attention now turns to the National League Cup for Portsmouth’s Women.

The Blues are flying high in the FA Women’s National League - Southern Premier Division and are in a very good position to achieve promotion to the Championship.

For this weekend however, focus is switched to a competition they reached the Semi-Finals of last season, the National League Cup.

Northern Premier Division leaders Newcastle United await Jay Sadler’s side at the historic venue that is St James’ Park.

MANAGER

The Magpies are managed by 28-year-old Becky Langley.

Langley has recently completed her UEFA B and A Licence courses and travelled to the Middle East last year to learn with other female coaches with similar lofty ambitions.

Having coached since the young age of 14, Langley pursued her coaching career alongside studying Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough University, from which she graduated from in 2016.

She was handed her first full-time contract as permanent manager of the Newcastle United Women in the summer of 2022, shortly after they were introduced under the umbrella of the football club following the Saudi takeover.

ONE TO WATCH

Our one to watch for this fixture is one of Newcastle’s newest recruits, Paige Bailey-Gayle.

The forward joined The Magpies on a permanent deal from Crystal Palace in January and has really hit the ground running with her new side, scoring 4 goals from just 3 appearances so far.

Bailey-Gayle, who came through the youth ranks at Arsenal and was promoted to the Gunners’ first-team in November 2018, wears the number 90 shirt for Newcastle.

The 22-year-old has represented England at youth level but was selected for the Jamaican senior side and made her debut for The Reggae Girlz in a goalless draw with Costa Rica in October 2021.

TOP SCORER

Newcastle’s top scorer is childhood Magpies supporter Bridget Galloway, who joined the club at the start of the season.

The Gateshead-born striker has so far found the back of the net on 16 occasions in the FA Women’s National League - Northern Premier Division this season with only 1 of those strikes coming from the penalty spot.

Galloway had to make her breakthrough in football with arch rivals Sunderland, where she made her senior debut in 2016.

After 4 years in The Black Cats’ setup on Wearside, she moved to Durham Women in 2020.

The 24-year-old scored 37 goals in 51 appearances for Sunderland and 6 in 34 for Durham before signing for her childhood club Newcastle back in July.

18 is the squad number donned by Bridget Galloway, who had a blistering start to her career on Tyneside with an impressive 9 goals from her first 6 games for the club at the start of the campaign.

CURRENT FORM

Like Pompey, Newcastle are members of the 3rd tier of women’s senior football in England, the FA Women’s National League.

The Magpies however are in the Northern Premier Division, so have not and will not face the Blues in the league.

The 2 sides do however have 1 thing in common and that is they both lead their respective regional divisions.

Becky Langley’s team are top after 13 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from their 15 league matches played so far this season - 9 points ahead of Nottingham Forest in 2nd, who have a game in hand on The Magpies.

Burnley are in 3rd position, 14 points behind but having played 3 games fewer.

Last time out a week ago, Newcastle were 2-1 victors over Derby County in the league.

To reach this stage of the National League Cup, The Magpies saw off Birmingham & West Midlands Ladies by 2 goals to 1 in the First Round, before winning 3-0 in the Second Round and knocking out current holders Nottingham Forest, who defeated Pompey in the Semi-Finals at the Halbrooke Stadium on their run to become winners last year.

In the Quarter-Finals last month, Newcastle were 4-1 victors away at Fylde.

So, will it be 1 for sorrow or 2 for joy for Portsmouth against The Magpies in the National League Cup? Can Jay Sadler’s side go one better than last year and make it through to the Final?

Part 2 of this latest Pompey Live weekender comes LIVE from St James' Park from 1pm this Sunday (February 25th) afternoon. Connor Moseley will present the show with Matt Drabble on commentary duties alongside support from pundits Jake Smith and Kirsty Roxanne, who will be on hand to also bring exclusive post-match reaction after the full-time whistle.

Kick-off: 2pm!