Crystal Palace Women 2 Newcastle United Women 0 | OneFootball

A close-range finish from Ashleigh Weerden and a deflected Abbie Larking strike were enough for the Eagles to navigate past a spirited and determined Newcastle side.

It was a bright start from the Lasses, who refused to let the hosts settle into a rhythm and almost stormed into the lead when Lois Joel won the ball in Palace's final third.

A quick ball down the line to Amy Andrews allowed her to cross and pick out Beth Lumsden on the penalty spot, but she could only deftly flick the ball wide of the far post.

Just minutes later, Emily Murphy was released through the middle and had the composure to play a reverse ball into the path of Shania Hayles. United's top scorer looked to have a one-on-one with Milla-Maj Majasaari, only for Katrine Veje to get across to make a last-ditch block.

Palace almost found themselves ahead just five minutes before the break. Newcastle failed to clear their lines after a ball into the box found its way to Annabel Blanchard, who struck her volley onto the post before seeing it fall into the arms of Claudia Moan.

After a stop-start beginning to the second half, it was the Eagles who looked to have come out the sharpest, and Katie Stengel appeared set to get a strike off.

However, some smart defending from Hannah Greenwood was enough to put the American off balance and she sliced her shot into the arms of Moan from an acute angle.

The Women's Super League side began to pin United back in the second half, and once again, Stengel found herself bearing down on Moan's goal, but Newcastle's number 13 came off her line to make a smart save.

An hour had been played at VBS Stadium as Mille Gejl unleashed a strike from outside the area which cannoned back out off the crossbar before United cleared.

After three second-half substitutes, Newcastle began to turn the tide and force some of their own pressure. Greenwood picked out Hayles with a driven ball into the striker, and her touch found Jasmine McQuade in the 18-yard box, but she fizzed her effort over the bar.

Then the Newcastle fans on the opposite side of the ground thought Joel had put their side ahead as her free-kick dipped narrowly over Majasaari's crossbar.

As the clock struck 81 minutes, Crystal Palace found themselves ahead after a quick break down the right released Abbie Larking, who picked out Weerden at the near post to slide her effort beneath Moan.

Six minutes later, Weerden almost doubled her tally for the afternoon when a bouncing ball found her unmarked at the back post, but a brave block from Lia Cataldo diverted the half-volley wide.

The Eagles were desperate to kill the tie off and almost did so when Blanchard danced her way into the United box, but once again Moan was ready to thwart her.

However, as Becky Langley's side looked for an equaliser in ten minutes of second-half added time, substitute Larkin's speculative strike deflected off Rachel Furness and looped over Moan.

Newcastle United Women: Claudia Moan, Lia Cataldo, Deanna Copper, Hannah Greenwood, Demi Stokes (Rachel Furness 59), Amber-Keegan Stobbs (c), Lois Joel, Amy Andrews, Emily Murphy, Beth Lumsden (Katie Barker 59), Shania Hayles (Ava Champan 85)

Subs not used: Grace Donnelly, Hannah Hawkins