The Lasses ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Durham Women, recording their first win over the Wildcats since coming into the league in 2024.

Hildur Antonsdóttir's first goal for the club put Newcastle ahead going into the break after a half of dominance.

Then Jordan Nobbs' first of the season doubled United's lead before a late Martha Thomas strike from close range sealed all three points.

United looked to stamp their authority on the game immediately with Beth Lumsden a threat down the left, and she arrowed a low cross towards Thomas, but the ball went narrowly past the Scottish forward and the far post.

It was a tough game to gather momentum with a stop-start nature to the opening exchanges, but Newcastle tried to continue playing their own game and utilised their pace on the counter-attack.

A neat flick around Dee Bradley from Nobbs started a move and two passes later, Lumsden had driven past Lauren Briggs into the box, firing high, leaving Cat Sheppard with no chance, but Newcastle's number 26 was cruelly denied by the crossbar.

Durham had no answer to Lumsden's pace and directness in the first half as she once again got in behind their backline before flicking the ball over Briggs' head, but once again was denied a goal, this time by Madison McComasky's last-ditch block.

However, the Lasses didn't have to wait much longer for the opening goal, as from the resulting corner, they found the back of the net.

A dangerous in-swinging corner from Jemma Purfield was only palmed down into the six-yard box by Shepphard, and after letting the ball bounce, Antonsdóttir reacted quickest and thrashed home into the roof of the net for her first goal with the club.

Soon afterwards, a deep free kick from Nobbs was headed back across goal by Thomas to Antonsdóttir, who attempted to loop the ball over her head and into the far corner, but it was headed away at the last moment.

Durham carved open their best chance of the game on the hour mark when Briggs crept in unmarked at the back post and met the ball with a volley destined for the far corner, only for Anna Tamminen to get down low and tip her effort around the post.

While the Wildcats were attempting to get further forward, it was a long ball forward which was their undoing. Bradley's header was flicked into the path of Thomas, who sprinted through one-on-one but was denied by Sheppard.

United kept the attack alive, however, with the rebound falling to Nobbs, who took a touch to steady herself before curling an effort beyond the diving Sheppard to double United's lead.

The always dangerous Beth Hepple was afforded a load of space out wide and delivered a dangerous cross for Jade Pennock to meet, but she could only land her headed effort behind the goal.

Lumsden continued to cause chaos for the Durham defence, and she looked to have an assist to her name when she rolled the ball to Thomas in the area, but the striker appeared to lose her footing, allowing Sarah Wilson to hack the ball away on the line.

It wasn't long until Thomas did get herself on the scoresheet when she netted with three minutes left of the 90.

Captain Rachel McLauchlan faked to shoot on the edge of the area before threading Lumsden in down the left, and her low cross was calmly swept home by Thomas for her fifth of the season.

Newcastle United Women: Anna Tamminen, Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield, Mollie Lambert (Kathleen McGovern 66), Hildur Antonsdóttir (Lois Joel 83), Martha Thomas (Jessie Gale 90), Kaitlyn Torpey, Katie Bradley, Aoife Mannion, Beth Lumsden, Rachel McLauchlan (c)

Subs not used: Kayla Rendell, Charlotte Wardlaw, Freya Gregory, Hanna Németh, Gemma Evans, Leanne Kiernan