Newcastle boss hails 'incredible turnout' and drops…

Newcastle boss hails 'incredible turnout' and drops hint at next St James' Park date

Becky Langley has hailed the 'incredible turnout' at St James' Park as Newcastle United Women sealed an historic comeback victory. A record attendance of 28,565 watched the Lady Magpies come from behind to earn a 2-1 victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts trailed for almost an hour after Emily Pierrepoint opened the scoring for the visitors against the run of play. However, two sensational second-half strikes from Georgia Gibson and Sharna Wilkinson in a matter of minutes quickly turned the tie in Newcastle's favour.

It is the second time the women's team have played at St James' Park this year, with an extra 6,000 fans turning out in support of Langley's side this time around. The Magpies manager could not hide her delight following the full-time whistle, not just with the result but with the 'incredible turnout'.

Langley said: "It was absolutely fantastic. To be one-nil down for such a long time, the character of the players after half-time to really kick on. I'm just so delighted for them, especially the two who scored.

"Barnsley are strong opponents, they have been for the last couple of seasons. We only narrowly beat them at home in the league and that was right in the last minute. We knew it would be a really tough test, I'm really pleased we came out on the right side of it.

"I think it's an incredible turnout, we need to remember this is actually two tier-four sides playing against each other. Newcastle fans don't seem to care about the level, they just want to support any team playing in black-and-white and representing the club.

"The numbers are absolutely tremendous. It's Newcastle fans having that absolute passion for football, and the North East came out in numbers."

It has been a roller coaster rise for the women's team, who only officially became a part of the club in August. Families took advantage of the World Cup break to cheer on the Lady Magpies, and Langley hopes the second St James' Park success this year will 'empower' aspiring footballers in the stands.

She added: "Our main aim is to inspire that next generation who are watching in the crowd. The amount of little girls who could see visible role models.

"When I was younger, there weren't those role models playing in packed stadiums. It was very small numbers, and now it's about can we empower those little girls watching?

The victory has booked Newcastle's place in the FA Cup third round, where the draw could throw up a glamour tie with a Women's Super League side or even a Tyne-Wear derby. For United this season, the ultimate priority remains securing promotion having narrowly missed out last term.

There are currently no confirmed plans for a future return to St James' Park for the women's team, although the success of the two matches so far makes another outing almost inevitable. Langley has revealed the Lady Magpies could be afforded a third stadium appearance at the end of the season, and hopes to tie it in with a trophy lift.

The Newcastle manager added: "Can you imagine how many people who would be here if we were playing in the WSL? Honestly, I think we'd pack the stadium out every other week. It's just brilliant, and we're hoping there's another game at the end of the season.

"Promotion is an absolute grind. Last season, we did fantastically but it was during a 10-day period where we lost a County Cup final, drew a game and dropped another three points which ended up costing us.

"We want to be top of the league, and imagine lifting the trophy here at St James' Park with a packed stadium. That's what we've got to be aiming for."

Newcastle boss hails 'incredible turnout' and drops hint at next St James' Park date

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