Match Preview: Durham v Newcastle United

Sunday 16 March sees a momentous North East derby take place in the Barclays Women’s Championship between Durham and Newcastle United, as the two sides go head to head at Maiden Castle for those all important points to close the gap on what is becoming an increasingly tight title race for promotion.

Heading into this game, home side Durham sit in 4th place on 26 points, with the visitors in 7th on 23 points. Durham’s most recent fixture seen them lose 2-0 away to Sunderland, whilst Newcastle grabbed victory in a thrilling 3-2 win against Bristol City.

The reverse fixture took place at Kingston Park in October with Durham snatching a late winner courtesy of Mollie Lambert, leaving Newcastle even more determined to head into this fixture with nothing but a win on their minds. One of the Magpies’ most recent signings Charlotte Wardlaw spoke of the anticipation building within the team in the lead up to this Sunday, stating “It’s exciting for us as players because a derby adds another layer to the game, but we know we’ve got to be ready to fight that little bit more”.

A win for the away side could potentially see them draw level on points with Durham, and with only a handful of games left in the 24/25 season there is an even higher desire to grab every point up for grabs in the remaining fixtures. Durham midfielder Alice Griffiths spoke ahead of this weekend’s derby, stressing that following the team’s most recent defeat “we have been working hard trying to put things right for the weekend and make sure that we get the result”.

Sunday looks set to host the biggest Maiden Castle crowd so far this season, with many fans of both clubs expected to loudly show their support for their chosen North East side. Kick off is at 12pm and a few tickets remain available on Durham’s website, with the match being streamed live on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.