Newcastle United head coach Becky Langley said that there were positives to take from her side’s 2-0 Adobe Women’s FA Cup third round victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The Magpies secured their place in the next round but they made hard work of their victory over fourth-tier Boro at Kingston Park.
When speaking to the media after the match, Newcastle United boss Langley said that there were positives to take from the contest, although her side could have performed better.
“First and foremost, it was important to get the result and a clean sheet,” Langley said. “There were definitely positives to take; I was delighted to see Ella Baker make her debut.
“Credit to Middlesbrough, I thought they competed well in the game; they made it tough, they made it scrappy but I definitely expected us to have more control.”
Midfielder Hannah Greenwood was the match-winner for Newcastle United, she netted a goal in each half to ensure that there was no cup shock on Tyneside. Langley was pleased with the player’s all-round performance, particularly after half-time.
She said “I thought Hannah had a particularly good second half. I thought some of her one v one defending was good, she dominated her duels well and scored both goals from set-pieces which is brilliant. Credit goes to the staff team for all of the work they’ve done on our attacking set-pieces.
“I think we need to create more from open play, so there’s some disappointment from my side with that.”
Newcastle United will go more than two months without a Barclays Women’s Championship fixture with this Saturday’s home match against Blackburn Rovers having been postponed. While The Magpies have cup fixtures to contest, Langley admits to having mixed feelings about the lengthy break from league action.
She said “It’s disappointing. We would have liked to have continued the momentum and have another league game before Christmas. The positives are that we will get players back from injury come the New Year and strengthen the squad further, so in that sense, it’s a bonus.
“We wanted to play the game and we could have gone as high as third, so it’s annoying.”
Newcastle United return to action on the weekend of 11/12 January 2025 when they face either Nottingham Forest or Burnley in the fourth round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup at Kingston Park.
