It is a measure of NUFC Women’s season and expectations that last Saturday’s 2 – 1 defeat in the FA Women’s National League Cup Final to Essex based Hashtag United was felt so strongly in the aftermath of the game.
Clearly United had gone into the game at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road expecting to win and were bitterly disappointed and even heartbroken in the case of some of the players who were genuinely upset at the final whistle.
But Cup Finals can do that to you and despite Newcastle being firm favourites, The Tags showed that favourites can be beaten if you prepare right and execute your game plan in the right way.
That isn’t a criticism of Becky Langley, her coaching staff and her players. This United force have been meticulous in their planning for all games this season. But on this occasion they just faced an opponent that perhaps were just that little bit more ready.
On the day Hashtag deserved their win. They went behind early but came back from that setback to level quickly and then strike a winner with 18 minutes to go. In between United scoring and the final whistle the Southern Premier Division side edged the game.
Their game plan clearly to nullify Wor Lasses potent attack and normal crisp decisive creative passing and movement working to perfection. Then give the chances they took them splendidly to complement their hard-fought commitment and desire.
Langley conceded at the end of the game that Hashtag deserved their win. She felt that her side had not been at their best and hadn’t really got going. Perhaps she thought they had played the occasion and not the game but she had no real complaints.
Just a feeling of devastation that her side had not performed at their usual high standards but gave Hashtag credit for that in the way they had performed. Her feeling of disappointment perhaps compounded that her side had chances to win but couldn’t take them.
Langley also had time to praise the magnificent travelling support with over…
Source link : https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2024/03/28/heartbreak-for-newcastle-united-women-the-report-ive-been-struggling-to-write/
Author : Jeff King
Publish date : 2024-03-28 19:07:49
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