The tone was set early when Flo Denbow opened the scoring in just the 9th minute, calmly converting after Newcastle’s initial pressure paid off. What followed was less a contest and more a showcase. Newcastle pinned Northumbria deep inside their own half, racking up penalty corners at an almost comical rate. Each one felt like a goal waiting to happen, and more often than not, it nearly was.
Denbow was at the centre of it all. Her second goal came soon after—this time via a thunderous strike from a corner that had the crowd audibly stunned. Even among the steady hum of spectators enjoying the sunshine (and, in many cases, showing up with face paint to match the occasion), her performance stood out. A group of boys nearby certainly thought so, loudly and repeatedly praising her skillset throughout the first half—and it’s hard with a crowd who clearly loves a certain player on the Ladies 3's.
By the midpoint of the first half, Newcastle’s dominance was absolute. Northumbria struggled to clear their lines, their defence looking fragile under sustained pressure, while their midfield—arguably their strongest area—was left chasing shadows. Attacks rarely made it into Newcastle’s half, and when they did, they were quickly shut down. A third goal from Frankie Davidson around the 30-minute mark—one that perhaps the goalkeeper will feel she could have done more to stop- it showed just how far apart the two teams were.
At half-time, the 3–0 somehow felt generous to Northumbria.
As the score ticked up… it became clear Newcastle were simply scoring for fun.
If there were any hopes of a reset after the break, Newcastle quickly shut them down. Within a minute of the restart, they struck again, and from there the floodgates truly opened. Goals came from all angles—short-range finishes, slick moves through the circle, and even speculative long shots that Northumbria seemed unable to intercept. The defensive structure that had already looked shaky began to unravel completely.
Newcastle’s relentless corner routine continued to pay dividends, with wave after wave of set-pieces testing a Northumbria defence that simply couldn’t cope. By the time the score reached 7–0—finished off with a particularly sharp strike—the game had taken on an almost surreal quality.
To their credit, Northumbria did show glimpses of resilience in the second half. Tackling improved, and there were brief moments where they threatened the Newcastle goal, including one effort that was well blocked by the defence. But these threats were small, and Newcastle’s control was never in doubt.
As the score ticked up—8, 9, 10—it became clear Newcastle were simply scoring for fun.
This was less a match and more a masterclass.
By the time the score stretched further in the second half, the game had taken on an almost surreal quality. Newcastle’s dominance was so complete that their goalkeeper was left with virtually nothing to do—so much so that she began entertaining herself with gymnastics!
The final whistle confirmed a 12–0 victory, prompting celebrations both on the pitch and on the side lines, where the crowd—energised by both the performance and a early afternoon pint—buzzed long (but easy game for Newcastle) game ended.
If there was ever any doubt about the standout performer, it vanished early. Denbow’s clinical finishing, physical presence, and ability to dominate attacking phases made her the clear choice for my personal player of the match—and judging by the running commentary from nearby fans, that’s a decision few would agree with.
On a day where the sun was shining and Newcastle couldn’t seem to miss, this was less a match and more a masterclass.