PNE Women bounced back from their defeat against league leaders Sheffield FC Ladies with a hard fought win over Newcastle United at Irongate.
Like many of their home games this season, PNE started the game brightly.
Alison Taberner had an effort cleared off the line before Keeleigh Savage hit the post after good footwork to beat the Newcastle United defender.
The Magpies nearly took the lead in the 12th minute when Jessica Havelock charged down the left hand side and got a shot away but it bounced off the bar and was cleared by PNE.
Becky Grocott broke free of the Newcastle defence fourteen minutes later, but goalkeeper Megan Borthwick pulled off a good save to deny the number ten.
It didn’t take long after the save for PNE to take the lead when Gemma Watson unleashed an unstoppable effort towards goal.
After picking the ball up in midfield, she struck her effort from around 30 yards, leaving Borthwick with no chance of stopping it.
United were back on level terms in the 31st minute when Havelock headed a corner towards goal and Beth Gardener poked home from close range.
PNE captain Laura Walker prevented NUFC adding a second four minutes after their equaliser when she cleared off the line after Danielle Brown pushed an effort onto the post.
PNE took the lead again in the 66th minute when Watson picked out Melissa Ball with a superbly weighted pass and she slotted past the oncoming Borthwick to make the score 2-1.
Six minutes before the full time whistle Newcastle had a penalty appeal turned down by the referee, much to the annoyance of their players and Alice Teasdale was booked for her protests.
Ball was in action again in the final few minutes as she cleared off the line to ensure that PNE took all three points.
The result means that PNE now have 18 points in the league, giving them a boost in confidence ahead of next week’s game against Sporting Club Albion Ladies.
PNE: Brown, Stanfield, Taberner, Walker (c), Forshaw (Foster 64), Jones (Rawcliffe 82), Watson, Forster, Ball, Grocott (Charlesworth 45), Savage