Newcastle’s promotion to the North Division 2 East this season resurrected a local derby that over the past few years has always been a tense affair. The fact that the teams were sitting second and third in the league simply serve to add a bit of additional spice!

It was the visitors who started the better – getting their forwards onto the ball early and testing the home defence. They quickly found that they would be up against a determined wall with Pattison in particular steely in the tackle and first to every fifty fifty ball.

Having weathered this initial storm, Morpeth settled into their game plan and started to spread the ball sharply across the pitch using centre pivots Simpson and Cockburn to good effect. However, it was a classic fast break that brought the first real chance of the match.

Bowler worked the ball down the right before pulling it back to Cockburn. Her defence-splitting pass found Jones unmarked in the circle. The keeper reacted quickly and was instantly diving out to narrow the shooting angle. Jones, however, demonstrated her maturity and presence to simply knock the ball square rather than shooting at goal. Dixon found herself in front of goal with a straightforward tap in with the keeper stranded.

This break through rocked the visitors a little and Morpeth created one or two further half chances before they conceded a short corner.

Newcastle tried one of their favourite set-play routines with an apparent disinterested player arriving late to hit a surprise shot before the defence realises what is happening. Morpeth were live to it with Rose parrying the shot away comfortably.

Unfortunately, however, the ball broke back to the Newcastle midfield and a clever cross-pitch pass left the home defence slightly flatfooted. Rose managed to get to the cross first but could only slow its passage down. It fell kindly to a waiting Newcastle forward and the scores were once again level.

The second half saw the balance of possession switch with the home defence more concerned with pushing forward to support attacks – at one point Pattison was excelling on the left wing having burst through from her right back position – rather than being overly worried about the two isolated forwards playing high up the pitch.

It nearly proved to be their downfall with Newcastle’s playmaker breaking half the length of the pitch to create a two on two decision. Fortunately, the understanding between Hindmarch and Rose was such that there was never really any threat of a goal being notched.

Morpeth pushed for a winner with O’Brien hitting a trademark reverse sweep goal ward before two rather scrambled efforts created by Jones seemed destined to cross the line but stubbornly trickled across the face of goal with no home forward able to get the killer touch.

Newcastle hadn’t given up hope of taking all three points either. An excellent tackle was needed from Hindmarch to stop their playmaker after a mazy fifty yard run. Pattison also continued to show her commitment with some stout defending which saw her take a couple of knocks.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair result but with the teams now more aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, the rematch after Christmas will be an interesting encounter.

Team list: Janice Rose (GK), Karen Hindmarch, Jenny Pattison, Lyn Watkins, Marian Simpson, Nikki Bowler, Emma Cockburn (capt), Sarah Henderson, Lucy Dixon, Tracey Jones, and Charlotte O’Brien

Man of the Match – Jenny Pattison

Match sponsored by Kit and Sticks