After a tightly-contested first half, Becky Langley's side sprung into life in the second period, with goals from Lauren Robson and Georgia Gibson guaranteeing a vital three points for the Lady Magpies.

In the cagey opening stages, United looked to impose themselves on the visitors, but when Kacie Elson broke in behind twice, her driving runs were snuffed out effectively by Stockport.

With just nine minutes on the clock, Becky Ferguson latched onto a forward pass and danced beyond a defender, only to see her effort blocked at the last second to keep the scores level.

Langley's side dominated the opening 20 minutes of the first half, but neither side was able to create a clear-cut chance, with Katie Barker's effort wide of goal - although offside - being the main talking point.

Midway through the first period, the visitors created the first opportunity, with Grace Donnelly forced to parry an effort and gather quickly to deny a Stockport striker.

At the half-hour mark, Barker had a golden opportunity after breaking beyond the Stockport defence, but United's number nine fired a powerful effort across of the face of goal and narrowly wide of the post.

Moments later, Robson came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when her long-range free-kick evaded everyone in the box and rebounded back off a post.

As half time approached, Barker broke free once again, twisting and turning her marker before seeing her left-footed attempt thwarted by a combination of a Stockport defender and goalkeeper Charlie Bolland.

The Lady Magpies came out flying in the second half and almost had the lead shortly after the restart when Elson headed Robson's cross onto the foot of the post, before scooping an effort over the crossbar.

The next big chance also involved Newcastle's wing duo, as Robson saw her low shot repelled by the goalkeeper before Elson's attempts to get a shot away were snuffed out.

Newcastle Women's barrage continued, as Barker found space on the edge of the box after being fed by Elson, but her strike screamed narrowly past the post.

Just before the hour mark, the Lady Magpies had yet another chance to open the scoring when Gibson's free-kick was spilt, but centre-back Jess Spark could not find the target with her left-footed hook towards goal.

Minutes later, Gibson thought she had broken the deadlock herself, but her low strike was thwarted by the right boot of the Bolland after Robson's attempt was parried.

Elson came close again just after the hour mark, with the winger's effort flying right across the face of goal after she had expertly escaped the attentions of a defender.

But Newcastle didn't have to wait much longer to celebrate, as on 63 minutes, Robson rocketed the ball from outside the box into the left top corner, giving Bolland no chance.

Thirteen minutes later, Barker's pace caused yet more problems for the Stockport defence when she drove in behind and was taken down by Chloe Howard on the edge of the box. As Howard was the last defender back, the referee issued the centre-back a red card for the foul.

As the match entered the closing stages, Gibson surely thought she'd scored when Barker centred to the midfielder on the break. However, she was thwarted on two consecutive occasions by Bolland and the Stockport defence.

Gibson finally broke through the visitors' defence to extend Newcastle's lead just minutes later, though, heading home the rebound after Beth Guy's header came back off the crossbar.

The Lady Magpies saw out the final minutes of the match expertly, making it two wins from two in the league for Langley's side at the start of the 2022/23 season.

Newcastle United Women: Grace Donnelly (c), Daisy Burt (Libby Corney 85), Jess Spark, Freya Bailes, Keira Skelton, Beth Guy, Georgia Gibson (Amy Hargrave 85), Lauren Robson (Lois Greenslade 85), Becky Ferguson (Sharna Wilkinson 62), Kacie Elson, Katie Barker

Sub not used: Frankie Hackett

Report by Joseph Nelson

Photograph courtesy of Colin Lock/@Tyneside_NUWFC