With England international Jordan Nobbs among the crowd at Maiden Castle, Ellie Dobson had cancelled out Poppy Pritchard's opener - only for Burn to fire spectacularly home from distance in the 73rd minute to consign United to their second league defeat of the campaign.

Cestria had also knocked Newcastle out of the FA Women's National League Cup on penalties on Sunday and, with no game this weekend, Becky Langley and her team now have more than a week to stew on two disappointing results before they can look to get back to winning ways against Gateshead Rutherford Ladies in the Vitality Women's FA Cup.

But although they were some way short of their best in this edgy North East derby, United will still feel they had enough opportunities to gain at least a share of the spoils, with Lauren Robson hitting the woodwork in the first half and squandering a great chance in stoppage time while Beth Guy, Katie Barker and Lois Greenslade all came agonisingly close to scoring.

Cestria leapfrogged United to climb to second in the FA Women's National League Division One North, but Langley's Lasses - who were, for various reasons, without key players like Olivia Watt, Georgia Gibson, Ellen Packham, Rachel Lee, Grace Boyes, Sharna Wilkinson, Jane Harland, Erin Nelson and Anna Soulsby - are only two points behind leaders Leeds United Women in a concertinaed top half of the table.

The Lady Magpies started strongly, with Barker shooting over following Guy's header back across goal and Charlotte Potts nodding just wide from Robson's right-wing corner. 

In the 16th minute, Robson rattled the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area, but after withstanding the early pressure, Cestria began to grow into the game and Grace Donnelly was called into action just after the half-hour mark to make a fantastic save from Pritchard.

At the beginning of the second period, Pritchard opened the scoring with a deflected effort but United responded quickly through Dobson's fourth goal of the season. Megan Borthwick kept out Potts' header, but after a frenetic scramble in the six-yard box, Dobson forced the ball over the line. 

But Borthwick's brilliance prevented Newcastle from building on that, as she saved from Guy and Barker in quick succession before Burn - who was with United between 2015 and 2017 - blasted Durham ahead once more.

Langley reacted with a double change, replacing Gillian Oyos and Kacie Elson with Becky Ferguson and Lois Greenslade, and it nearly paid instant dividends as the former played in the latter to race through on goal, but Borthwick was once again there to block superbly. 

The game was by now wide open, with Pritchard hitting the bar for the hosts before United immediately countered and Barker dragged just wide. 

In the 86th minute, a Potts free kick fell for Guy, but she was unable to direct her header past the goalkeeper and then, in the final seconds of stoppage time, Robson could only hit the side-netting from another perfect Potts pass. The final whistle was met with wild celebrations by the Cestria team and staff while Newcastle's players cut dejected figures having missed out on the chance to go top - but with better finishing, there is no reason why they can't be there come the end of the season.

Newcastle United Women: Grace Donnelly (c), Daisy Burt, Charlotte Potts, Freya Bailes, Keira Skelton, Lauren Robson, Beth Guy, Gillian Oyos (Becky Ferguson 76), Ellie Dobson, Kacie Elson (Lois Greenslade 76), Katie Barker

Subs not used: Frankie Hackett, Emma Wallis, Georgina Spraggon

Photograph courtesy of Colin Lock/@Tyneside_NUWFC