Manchester United 5 Newcastle 0
Ella Toone was England’s super-sub during their Euro 2022 triumph, but her form hasn’t always reached the same heights since.
However, against third-tier Newcastle United in the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup, Toone showed her edge and also sported a new look: a protective mask worn as a precaution after recently suffering a facial injury.
Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner believes Toone has come under undeserved criticism in recent months and praised the England midfielder’s commitment, character and skill after her spectacular opening goal helped his team overcome Newcastle.
Toone smashed a goal into the top left corner to break the deadlock after almost half an hour of stubborn resistance from a Newcastle side that looked more than capable of playing at Championship level. The underdogs were ultimately overpowered by last season’s finalists as the in-form Nikita Parris scored twice – Toone provided her first assist – before substitutes Rachel Williams and Melvine Malard both got on the scoresheet late on.
“She got a lot of criticism that I didn’t think she deserved because everyone has high standards for her,” Skinner said of Toone. “It’s just like at Manchester United: everyone always sets high standards and if you don’t meet them there is a ‘crisis’.
“But what Ella does very well is simplify her game. When she applies pressure she lets go, but she releases it with quality and she moves again. She has been a breath of fresh air. Her attitude towards her own development is exactly where it should be and that can only be a good sign.”
Toone wore the mask to protect her nose after being caught by a swinging arm during a friendly against PSV in Malta during the Women’s Super League winter break earlier in January, but was declared fit after successfully passing concussion protocols this week run through. . But it didn’t seem to bother her and her joy at getting on the scoresheet was evident.
Skinner also believes Toone has taken advantage of the chance to recover over the winter break after a busy year in which she was part of the Lionesses squad that reached the World Cup final. “I think she was able to get away, she went on holiday with her family and that allowed her to freshen up,” he said. “Tooney will tell you she wants to play every minute of every game forever, but the reality is that people often don’t know what’s best for them. It’s also a pleasure to manage someone who wants to play every second. She likes football. If she’s not playing it she’ll be watching it, she’ll be at the Manchester United men’s games if she’s not playing for Manchester United Women.
Skinner also praised Newcastle, adding: “It was a really good game. Credit to Newcastle, I don’t think it will be long before they are in the WSL, I really don’t. They fell off towards the end because of the way we played, but they were well into the game.”
Newcastle manager Becky Langley felt her side “accounted for ourselves well” and felt the strong, first-choice team naming their best opponents showed how much her side is respected, saying: “When I saw the team sheet I’m surprised but not surprised. It was a joy for us to see them playing against their team at full strength, a big compliment.
“It’s incredible that 1,000 of our fans come to support us. Those memories will stay with the players forever. To be honest, I had a tear in my eye when I woke up and saw the pictures of everyone in St James’ Park at 6.30am, to see so many people.”
Langley’s Newcastle side are five points clear at the top of the Northern Premier Division, having played a game more than second-placed Burnley and aiming to reach the WSL in the future. Although Langley saw positive signs on Sunday, she also knows there is still a long way to go, adding: “It is clearly the physical aspects where the Manchester United players have had much more exposure and experience with strength and conditioning programs as full-time athletes. We are only six months into our full-time third level program. Now it’s about making sure we win our league this season and get back-to-back promotions.”
Match details
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Ears 6; Riviere 6 (Evans 6, 72), Le Tissier 7, Turner 6, Blundell 6; Ladd 6 (Guerrero 7, 65), Zelem 6; Geyse 7 (Williams 7, 66), Toone 8, Garcia 6 (Galton 7, 65); Parris 8 (Malard 7, 65)
Goals: Toone 28, Parris 37, 55, Williams 71, Malard 90+1
Subs not used: Tullis-Joyce (gk)
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Donnelly 6; Stobbs 6, Potts 6, Greenwood 6 (Burt 6, 87), Watts 6; Gibson 5 (Bedeau 6, 59), Boddy 6, Kelly 5; Dodds 5 (Elson 5, 59), Galloway 5 (Soulsby 6, 75), Barker 5 (McQuade 5, 75)
Subs not used: Milne-Redhead, Wilkinson, Boyes, Reid (gk)
Referee: Megan Wilson
Presence: 4,731
Round-up: Holders Chelsea pass tough West Ham test
Women’s FA Cup holders Chelsea needed extra time to get past West Ham United in the fourth round on a day without any major shock results in the competition.
Emma Hayes’ side, looking to win the cup for the fourth season in a row, fell behind when France’s Viviane Asseyi gave fellow top side West Ham an early lead at Kingsmeadow, but Chelsea – who adapted to the absence of their star striker Sam Kerr her ACL injury and without injured England centre-back Millie Bright too – recovered to dominate the rest of the match.
American forward Mia Fishel leveled before goals from Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken won the tie 3-1 in the extra 30 minutes.
Record 14-time winners Arsenal made their debut against American full-back Emily Fox and comfortably defeated champion team Watford 5-1. The other good news for Arsenal fans is that it is understood England striker Beth Mead is unhurt after appearing to pick up an injury later on.
Manchester City recorded a 4-0 win at the sold-out Maiden Castle ground in Durham on a Sunday when no Women’s Super League teams were knocked out by lower league opponents.
The side that came closest to being on the wrong end of defeat was Tottenham, who went down 2-0 at home to Sheffield United, but a brace from fit-again striker Bethany England and then Rosella Ayane’s winner in the 96th minute beat the lead. The hope of the South Yorkshire club.
The biggest and only disappointment of the day was Wolves coming from behind in the third tier to record a memorable 2-1 win at second-tier Reading, thanks to a late winner from Destiney Toussaint. There was £54,000 in prize money for each of the winning sides after the prize pool doubled from last year.
The lowest placed team remaining in the competition, fifth tier Luton Town, were beaten 6-0 by top tier Brighton, while tier four Hampshire club Moneyfields lost 4-0 to second tier London City Lionesses. 2012 cup winners and current Championship leaders Birmingham City needed extra time to pass Burnley in the third tier.